Legend of Spyro and the Riders: Dawn of the Dragon
by BentleyGirl
Summary: Sequel to Legend of Spyro and the Riders: The Eternal Night. As Malefor and Dorado spread their evil across the Realms and threaten a new age of darkness, Spyro, Cynder, Troy and Astral must join forces to embark on a dangerous quest to stop the invasion and save the world. UPDATED. R and R. Rated T just in case.
1. Prologue

**Hello, faithful readers and welcome to my final exciting adaptation of **_**The Legend of Spyro **_**series. For those of you who are new to the adventures of Spyro, Troy and Astral please go back to the first two stories or take a look at this quick recap.**

_**Disclaimer:**_** This story has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving humans riding dragons. Also, I only own my OC's and nothing else.**

**So now, let this new story begin!**

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><p>Prologue: The Legend So Far<p>

_Thousands of years ago, when humans and dragons were living peacefully together, a purple dragon was born whose power was unlike anything ever imagined before. The Elders took this young dragon, Malefor away to a secret training ground to harness the true powers of the elements. Encouraged by the Elders' willingness, Malefor studied and eventually mastered his powers. However, his abilities were endless and he felt an incredible feeling whenever something was destroyed, no matter who got hurt. Saddened by this betrayal, the Elders had no choice but to banish Malefor to the mountains._

_Years later, Malefor, now proclaiming himself as the Dark Master, struck back with a powerful army of Apes, fueled with the powers of the Spirit Gems, the dragons' life force. A great war raged across the land with the dragons gaining a strong foothold thanks to their greatest weapon: the Dragon Riders. These brave and noble humans, led by the Great Trafalgar and their dragon steeds were able to hold back the Apes for many battles._

_But while this was happening, a human wizard named Dorado was planning his own vengeance. His home had been destroyed by a younger Malefor months back, and thus he hid in a secluded lair, training himself with the forbidden powers of Dark Magic. Soon he had mastered the dangerous spells of the Dark Gems and with this deadly weapon, he eventually faced Malefor in his mountain lair, the Well of Souls. After a great battle, the Dark Master saw potential in this human and allowed him to join his armies as his Dark Lord._

_Knowing the Apes were fighting a losing battle against the Riders, Dorado met up with the captain of the sinister pirates known as Skavengers and paid them handsomely for the capture and delivery of Dreadwings. With these new steeds, the Apes were able to turn the tides of battle in their favour, slaughtering humans and dragons alike. Many Riders and their steeds lost their lives in this conflict, including Trafalgar's partner._

_Finally, Trafalgar led a new charge against the Dark Armies which led to a final face-off between the Great Rider and the Dark Lord. Though Dorado's power was great, Trafalgar stood his ground against the corrupted wizard and eventually slew him and captured his spirit in a special crystal. A few months later, Trafalgar and the Dragon Elders faced Malefor in the Well of Souls and after a long and arduous struggle, they managed to defeat him. Using ancient spells, they were able to trap Malefor deep inside a portal in Convexity that would only be unlocked by one born in the Year of the Dragon, and Trafalgar locked the crystal in a double prison in the portal that could only be opened by the blood of a Rider's steed._

_The war was over, but the loss of life was great. Humanity had been cut down to only a few handfuls, so Trafalgar led his people to a distant chain of islands in order that the humans would be able to rebuild their populations. Sadly, shortly after they arrived, Trafalgar and the last of the Riders fell ill and eventually died. Over time, the humans forgot about their times with the dragons and for many generations, they continued their lives like the olden days._

_The dragons never forgot the humans though, and two prophecies were made on the day they left: that another purple dragon would be born that would bring a new age of peace, and that a young human would bring the humans back and restore the Riders…_

_Hundreds of years later, the Dark Armies rose again and made preparations for their Masters' return and the prevention of the prophecies. They invaded the Dragon Temple and stole an egg from the Guardians, but the Fire Guardian, Ignitus managed to save another egg and sent his apprentice, a young Golden Dragon named Astral to safety until her partner found him._

_For twelve years, the Guardians led the dragons into battle after battle against the Apes. But just as the dragons looked like they were winning, the Apes unleashed their secret weapon: Cynder. __Hatched from the egg stolen from the Temple, the black dragoness was corrupted by the Dark Master's powers into a terrifying monster. Her dark powers helped the Apes defeat the dragon armies then she captured three of the Guardians for her plan to harness their powers and unlock the portal. Only Ignitus managed to escape her clutches and he went into hiding._

_Her victory over the Realms assured, Cynder led her armies across the islands, enslaving the outlying populations. Their last call was the Broken Isles where the humans lived but they were easily taken. All except one; a young man named Troy who followed the Apes back to the Realms where he met Astral and discovered he was destined to restore the friendships between human and dragon._

_At the same time, a young purple dragon named Spyro who had been raised by dragonflies also discovered his true destiny when he met Ignitus and helped him reclaim the Temple. Troy and Astral also arrived at the Temple and joined forces with Spyro to help rescue the Guardians and the humans. After a while, Cynder caught up with them and captured Ignitus and Astral as part of her plan to free Malefor and Dorado. Troy and Spyro managed to save their friends and free Cynder from the darkness that corrupted her, but they were unable to stop the portal from being opened…_

_A few weeks later, Spyro, Astral and Troy each received visions from mysterious beings known only as the Chronicler and the Sentinel, warning them about the upcoming Night of Eternal Darkness and dangers coming from the Well of Souls. Shortly afterwards, Cynder left the Temple to find her destiny and the Temple came under attack by the Apes. After protecting the Temple, Spyro, Troy and Astral decided to find the Chronicler and the Sentinel to find out what the purposes of their visions were for._

_After a long and arduous journey, in which they faced the Skavengers and met Cynder just before she was recaptured by the Dark Armies, they finally arrived at the White Isle and meet the Chronicler and the Sentinel, who was revealed to be Trafalgar, Troy's ancestor. But when they learned that Cynder would return to the powers of darkness and that they were only called here to be safe until they were needed again, Spyro, Troy and Astral set off for the Wells of Souls to try and rescue Cynder._

_There, they faced off and defeated the Ape King, Gaul but they were too late to stop Malefor and Dorado from escaping the Well of Souls. Before they could escape, the mountain began to collapse around them, trapping them inside. But Spyro and Astral were able to summon the power of Dragon Time which, when focused through Troy's sword, sealed them inside a crystal that protected them from danger._

_However, Malefor and Dorado were freed at last and began their invasion over the Realms. Things were looking hopeless for everyone. Only one hope kept everyone going: that Spyro, Troy and Astral would return…_

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><p><strong>And there you have it. To my new readers, this would explain things to them, and to my current readers, the history has been completely revised.<strong>

**Next chapter, the story really begins.**

**See you then**


	2. Underground Grievances

**So the first chapter of my new story and our heroes are about to get a very rude awakening.**

_**Disclaimer:**_** This story has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving humans riding dragons. Also, I only own my OC's and nothing else.**

**So let's get it on!**

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><p>Chapter 1: Underground Grievances<p>

_Even in the darkest of times, there is always hope… but sometimes our fear clouds our vision. Sometimes our strength gives out… and yet sometimes when all seems lost, a light shines in the darkness and we are reminded that even the smallest amount of courage can turn the tides of war._

Deep within the catacombs of the demolished Well of Souls, an army was on the march. Grublins carrying torches led the way, lighting up the caverns for their leader, a Troll and two other Grublins who were hefting a large chest. So intent were they on their mission that none of them noticed the hooded figure hiding among the ruins.

The figure, a cheetah archer named Hunter was also on a mission. The Dragon Guardians had sent him on a task to find the three friends who were needed in this dark time. For months, he got nowhere then one of his messenger falcons had given him news of Grublins marching towards the mountains and he knew that had to be a lead. Now, as the Grublin army marched past his hiding place, Hunter jumped down and slowly followed them with nary a sound to give him away.

Then one of the torch-bearing Grublins stopped and pointed down a nearby cave. "We're here." The Troll waved his huge club down the passage and they all set off into the darkness, Hunter silently behind them. Eventually they stopped at the base of a massive yellow crystal and the cheetah peeked round to see… and he knew that at last, he had found what he was searching for.

Trapped in the crystal, like insects frozen in amber, were four figures. Three of them were dragons; one large golden dragon with blue wings and horns, its front legs over the two smaller dragons, one purple with yellow horns and orange wings and one black with silver horns, red wings and a blade on the end of its tail. A young human wearing silver armour and a red cape stood on the larger dragon's back, holding a magnificent sword in a two-handed grip over his head, his left arm showing a red sword-shaped mark.

The Troll's red eyes narrowed as he stared at the figures in the crystal then he turned to one of the Grublins. "Break it."

The little minion stepped forward, raised a little ax and smashed it into the crystal's side. At once, the crystal flashed and started to shake and crack, and then voices echoed around the chamber.

"_Spyro, Troy, stop!"_

"_No… don't make me do this…"_

_"Come on, guys. You have to fight it!"_

"_No… I-I can't…"_

"_Get close to us NOW!"_

"_CONVEIAS TEMPORUS!"_

As the voices faded, the crystal finally shattered and the dragons and human slumped onto the ground, motionless. The Troll then turned to the Grublins carrying the chests and nodded. "Shackle the dragons."

The Grublins placed the chest down and opened it. Three Grublins then each drew out a small emerald snake and placed them on the dragons' necks. As each snake touched the dragons' flesh, they coiled around the necks and shifted into glowing collars. A fourth Grublin then took out an ebony gauntlet with a purple jewel in its center and onto the human's left wrist. Then the rest of the army grabbed the unconscious figures and dragged them out of the cavern.

One Grublin spotted the large sword lying nearby and went back to take a look… only to get shot in the back by one of Hunter's arrows. The cheetah then approached the shattered crystal to grab the sword and then noticed a faint glimmer of light. He knelt down and discovered the light was actually a small yellow dragonfly. Carefully, he picked up the dragonfly and lifted it to his face.

As the dragonfly slowly sat up, he looked up at Hunter and gasped in alarm. "W-Who are you?" he stammered. "What's going on? Where's Spyro and the others?"

"Shhh," Hunter hissed. "You're making too much noise."

He then picked up the sword and set off down the passage after the Grublins…

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><p>"Troy! Can you hear me? Open your eyes, please!"<p>

With a loud groan, Troy slowly lifted his head and opened his eyes, blinking to focus. He could see Astral, his partner and Cynder standing over him, concern on their faces.

"Are you alright?" Cynder asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Troy murmured. "Where's Spyro?"

He looked round and saw the purple dragon lying some distance away. Then Spyro let out a moan and Astral ran up to her brother's side.

As Troy got shakily to his feet, Cynder joined Astral and whispered to her friend, "Spyro, Spyro, open your eyes. Get up!"

Spyro sat up slowly and looked around at his friends. "Cynder, Astral? What happened? Where are we?"

"I don't know," Cynder admitted as she looked up. "It's all a blur."

"Yeah, me too," Troy said as he joined his friends. Desperately he tried to think back, but all he could remember was crumbling rocks, a faint voice in his head then a flash of light and then… waking up here.

As Spyro got to his feet, he screwed up his eyes in pain. "We must have been out for a while. My head's pounding…"

"Shhh, wait," Astral hissed, her head cocked to one side. "That's not your head. I can hear it too."

Troy listened and sure enough, a loud drumming noise was echoing around them. "So can I. What is that?"

Suddenly, a light flashed up in one corner, making them jump. "Sparx, is that you?" Spyro called out.

But then more lights flashed around them and suddenly they became aware of their situation. "For once, I wish it was," Astral murmured.

They were standing in the middle of a wide platform over a pool of lava, and all around them, strange creatures were grunting and cheering. They looked like they were made of tree branches with long grass growing out their bodies and clubs in their hands.

"What are they doing?" Cynder asked worryingly.

"Let's not stick around to find out," Troy replied grimly. "Come on."

He started to lead the dragons away, but suddenly, Spyro and Astral felt something catch on their necks and stumbled back with a cry.

"What is your problem, guys?" Cynder cried out, turning to look at her friends.

It was then that Troy gasped and pointed to her neck. "Um, guys, you might want to look at this."

Spyro and Astral spotted the green, snake-like collar on Cynder's neck and followed the glowing chain back to a large stone disc on the floor and round to two similar collars around Spyro's and Astral's neck.

They all said the exact same thing. "Oh, this can't be good."

Suddenly, there was a loud roar and Troy and the dragons turned to see a large creature waving its club in the air. "They're awake. Don't let them escape!"

At once, the grassy tree-creatures disappeared into the ground and popped back up on the platform. Quickly, Troy reached for his sword… but felt nothing in his scabbard. "Oh no, I've lost Draconis!"

"You'll just have to fight without it," Astral cried, smashing one of the creatures back with her tail.

Spyro grabbed one of the creatures with his teeth and swung it by its leg around his head, knocking other creatures back. Cynder grabbed another creature in the same fashion and swung it side by side, knocking two others down like she was hammering nails in the floor. One of the creatures pounced on Troy, but the human raised his shield up and smashed it in the creature's face.

Just as it looked like Troy and the dragons were winning, the other creatures dived into the ground. Suddenly, a giant magma-like hand with crystals embedded in it emerged from below and grabbed onto the edge of the platform. It was quickly followed by a gigantic magma-monster that threw back its head and let out an ear-shattering roar.

At once, Astral ran up and grabbed the disc in her claws. "We have to break this thing! It's holding us back!"

Spyro and Cynder also grabbed the disc and together, the dragons pulled hard, eventually breaking it apart. As they did, the chain broke loose, but it was still flashing between the dragons' necks.

The monster raised its hand to crush them, but Troy and the dragons leapt out of the way. Then Astral, Spyro and Cynder charged forward, bashing their horns and claws into the beast's huge crystal-filled hand. After a few hits, the monster pulled back its hand with a roar of pain.

Spyro let out a sigh and turned to Cynder and Astral. "This chain is slowing us down; we can't fight it!"

"He's right," Astral agreed as Troy climbed onto her back. "We'll have to move in unison; follow my lead!"

"Why should you lead?" Cynder cried out.

"Uh-oh," Troy interrupted, seeing the monster raising its hand again. "Take cover!"

Acting quickly, the dragons spread their wings and leapt off the platform, barely escaping the monster's fist.

Cynder gulped at their close call. "Okay, good idea, you lead, Astral."

The dragons swooped past the monster as it turned to grab them. Troy gasped as a huge hand reached out to him and Astral, but then suddenly the monster pulled back and grabbed its eye that was sparking with dark energy. Its tail swung out and knocked down a pillar as the monster dived back into the lava.

The dragons landed and they and Troy looked round for any sign of their rescuer, when out of the shadows a small flash of light came zipping over to them. "Hey, Spyro, guys you're alive!" it buzzed joyously.

"Sparx!" Spyro cried out in delight, recognizing his adopted brother. "It's good to see you too! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, little stiff… voice keeps changing, but I'm good," Sparx murmured.

"Hey, this reunion is really touching and everything," Astral interrupted, "but shouldn't we get going? Unless you want to wait for that thing to climb back up; I'd hate to think what it would do to Sparx."

The dragonfly folded his arms and glared at the Golden Dragon as Troy looked at where Sparx had zipped out from and spotted a mysterious figure standing on a nearby podium. "Who is that guy?"

"I don't know," Sparx replied. "All he said was 'shhh, you're making too much noise'."

Cynder chuckled slightly. "I like him already."

Spyro, Cynder and Astral hurried over the fallen pillar to where the figure was standing and Troy looked at him closely. It was a cheetah about Troy's height, wearing a long red cloak and holding a long bow in one paw. Troy realized that he must have shot an arrow into the monster's eye and saved their lives.

As they approached, the cheetah turned and smiled grimly at them. "Troy, dragons, how do you feel? Anything broken?"

"Shaken a little bit," Spyro replied. "But not too badly, thanks to you."

The cheetah let out a sigh of relief. "Thank the Ancestors; I had feared I might have been too late. My name is Hunter."

"Hunter…" Troy repeated slowly then he remembered something. "Wait a minute…" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled scroll then read the last lines written on it. "_I look forward to the day when we can meet. Signed, Hunter of Avalar."_

"I see you kept the letter I wrote," Hunter beamed.

"That's from the Skavengers' ship," Astral recalled. "You've been tracking us…"

"For far too long, my friends," Hunter confirmed, leading the group out of the arena. "When you three didn't return to the Temple, the Elder Dragon, Ignitus sent me to find you. That was nearly three years ago…"

"WHAT?" Troy cried out. "Three years?"

"But… that's impossible," Spyro added.

"Yes, I'm sure this news comes as quite a shock," Hunter sighed, turning back to the group. "Forgive me for the brevity of my explanation, but this is not the place to account for missing time."

On cue, the ceiling behind them collapsed, blocking off the entrance to the arena.

"We are not safe here," Hunter said grimly. "Follow me."

As he set off down the tunnel, Troy and the dragons cast nervous glances at each other.

"Can we trust this guy?" Cynder murmured.

"He did save our lives back there," Astral reminded her. "And he knows Master Ignitus so he seems trustworthy…"

"His note also said that we have allies in these dark times," Spyro added. "I think he wanted to join forces with us."

"Listen, guys," Troy said. "We don't know what's been going on since we supposedly disappeared and right now, Hunter might be our only source of information. We'll go along with him for now and learn what we can…"

"Come on, guys," Hunter called out from further down the catacombs. "It's too dangerous to hang around here!"

Troy turned back to his friends. "He's got a point there. We'll have to stay with him, for now…"

With that agreed, Troy and the dragons set off after the cheetah into the tunnels, just as a loud roar was heard behind them…

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><p><strong>And here I'll stop. So now everything is set for the next part.<strong>

**Next chapter, our heroes traverse the dangerous catacombs, relearn their old skills and face the deadly Golem again and again.**

**See you then**


	3. A Dangerous Escape

**Hi again folks. Sorry for the delay; I had a lot of things going on. Anyway, here we are again at Chapter 2, and Spyro, Cynder, Troy and Astral have a few fights on their hands.**

_**Disclaimer:**_** This story has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving humans riding dragons. Also, I only own my OC's and nothing else.**

**So with that in mind… let's continue.**

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><p>Chapter 2: A Dangerous Escape<p>

Following Hunter along the ruined corridors, Troy and the dragons soon reached a long bridge, broken apart in places so it looked more like a series of platforms.

"It's getting closer," Hunter muttered.

Quick as a whip, he leapt across the platforms to the other side. He had a close call when one of the platforms collapsed under his feet, but he made it across without mishap.

"Phew," Sparx sighed in relief. "Why don't you go first, Cynder? It's safer… for me. Safer for me, I mean."

"Quiet," Astral whispered. "You'll give us away."

"We'll have to move quickly," Troy agreed, climbing on Astral's back. "So let's not hang around."

Spyro, Cynder and Astral then bounded across the platforms after Hunter… but just as they landed on the last platform, a loud roar echoed from below and the magma-monster emerged beside them, grabbing the platform they were standing on and wrenching it out. Troy almost fell out of Astral's saddle and the dragons had to dig their claws into the rock to avoid getting flung off.

Angrily, the monster tried to shake them off and then it slammed the podium into the floor above the door Hunter had dashed into, knocking them off into another corridor. The monster roared in frustration and slammed its fist in the wall before diving back into the ground.

Up in the corridor, the dragons staggered to their feet and Troy slipped off Astral's back, dusting himself down. "That was too close," the Rider murmured.

"Wonder what that monster was," Spyro wondered.

"Let's hope it doesn't bother us again," Astral said grimly. "Come on; let's find Hunter and get out of here."

They soon entered a room with a large cluster of green Spirit Gems. As they approached the Gem, Hunter climbed up from a lower platform to join them.

"Hunter, Troy, give us a moment to gather our strength," Astral said, leading the younger dragons up to the Gem.

"You might want to stand back," Troy said to Hunter. "This may take a while."

"And it gets a little weird, too," Sparx added.

Hunter chuckled to himself. "It is fascinating… how your friends draw strength from these crystals. Dragons are truly remarkable."

"Yeah, you say that now," Sparx argued, "until one of them tries to kill you. And by one…" He pointed to Cynder. "I mean her."

Troy and Cynder glowered at the dragonfly, but Hunter wasn't swayed. "I am aware of Cynder's past, but Ignitus and Orion trust her and that's good enough for me."

Astral meanwhile placed a paw on the crystal and her brother did the same. "Go ahead, Cynder," Spyro encouraged his friend who followed their example.

At once, the crystal began to glow brightly and the ghostly image of an elderly dragon with curved brown horns and a long dark cape appeared before them. "It's the Chronicler," Astral breathed.

The Chronicler spoke to them each in turn. "Spyro, as a rare Purple Dragon, you can wield many abilities that other cannot. Now it is time to awaken these powers within you: Fire, Electricity, Ice and Earth. Astral, as an even rarer Golden Dragon, you can wield the most elite powers of the ancient dragons. Those too must also be reawakened: Fire, Water, Plant and Psychic. Cynder, while most other dragons can master only a single element, your exposure to the darkness has gifted you with abilities most uncommon: Poison, Fear, Wind and Shadow." Then he disappeared.

"Wow," Troy breathed. "I just wish I had my sword again to relearn my Channeling skills…"

"Oh, that reminds me…" Hunter reached into his belt and pulled out a very familiar sword. "This was found where you were awakened."

"Draconis!" Troy cried out joyfully. "Thanks a bunch, Hunter."

As he grabbed the sword, he suddenly heard a deep, gentle voice in his head. "_Welcome back, Troy._"

"Trafalgar," Troy breathed as he recognized his ancestor's voice.

"Y_es, young Rider, it is me. Now listen carefully: in light of your situation, I have allowed you to Channel Cynder's elements into your blade. The words for the Poison Blade are _Conveias Venomus_. For the Hurricane Sword, it's _Conveias Zephyrus_. For the Terror Sword, it's _Conveias Terrosis_. For the Darkness Blade, it's _Conveias Umbras_. Good luck, Troy and be careful…_" Trafalgar's voice faded away.

The dragons meanwhile broke the Spirit Gem and absorbed the fragments into their bodies. But just as they finished, dust clouds suddenly flew up around them and several tree-creatures burst out of the ground.

"Grublins!" Hunter cried out, pulling out his bow. "Be careful!"

"Come on, guys," Troy called out, wielding his sword. "These guys will give us good practice."

With a nod, the dragons charged forward into the fray.

Spyro quickly charged into a Comet Dash, plowing through the Grublins. Astral swooped around the side and shot out green orbs of light, which quickly grew into vines that grabbed the nearest Grublins and crushed them. Cynder then flew over their heads, shooting out red sonic waves at the Grublins' heads and making them recoil in terror. Troy meanwhile closed his eyes and focused his energy. "_Conveias Infernus_!" His sword lit up with a burst of flame and he charged at the Grublins, taking them out with powerful swings. One Grublin tried to come in from behind, only to get taken out by one of Hunter's arrows.

Troy turned to the cheetah with a smile. "Good shot, Hunter!"

Hunter nodded then looked round as more Grublins came charging into the room. "Don't let them surround you!"

Cynder quickly dived into her own shadow and shifted under the Grublins' feet before shooting up from beneath them, covering their eyes with blackness. As Troy charged in, the Grublins all turned and started attacking each other in confusion. Spyro then shot out some Ice Shards that froze several Grublins in their tracks. A few more Grublins surrounded Astral as she focused her powers. Then her eyes became bright blue and she lifted her front legs and slammed them into the floor, pushing the Grublins away with a hidden shockwave. Troy and Hunter between them finished off the others.

"We must keep going," Hunter said. "There will be others following us…"

The way out was blocked with thorny brambles which quickly shriveled under Astral's Dragon Fire and they entered a chamber with a long staircase. Hunter leapt up to the top but then called down, "The door at the top is locked. Look around for something to open it."

As they looked around the floor, Troy's eye fell upon a glowing blue orb on a pressure plate. "Maybe this could do it…"

"Let's see," Astral said, stepping towards the plate. Then she lowered her head down, grabbed the orb in her jaws and hefted it up. As she did, the door behind them slid closed.

"Guess you were right," Spyro breathed. "Come on, let's get up there…"

The dragons spread their wings and took off, but Astral struggled with her load and collapsed to the ground, dragging Spyro and Cynder down with her. With a groan, Astral dropped the orb and turned to her friends. "Sorry, that orb was too heavy for me to gain any height."

"Guess we'll have to do it the old fashioned way," Cynder sighed.

So the group climbed the stairs up to where Hunter was waiting by the door and Astral placed the orb onto the pressure plate, making the door open.

They entered a massive cavern littered with broken columns and a massive waterfall on one wall. Troy looked up and saw a faint glimmer in a tunnel at the top of the wall. "There's a light up there; we must be getting close."

Hunter nodded and raced up a column. "This way! This leads to the surface."

Astral looked crestfallen as she looked around. "I don't think we can fly all the way up there…"

Troy ran up to the column Hunter had just climbed and then called back, "There's some vines on this side. It should be strong enough to support our weight. Come on."

Soon, he and the dragons had climbed up the column and glided over to an outcrop on the wall to join up with Hunter. But just as they were about to follow the path up the wall, the earth trembled and the magma-monster appeared again, smashing the columns down with one swipe of its arm.

"Keep going," Hunter cried, dashing along the path. "I'll distract it."

Quickly, Troy and his friends ran off after the cheetah, narrowly dodging attacks from the creature's massive fists as it punched the wall over their heads. Soon they were almost at the tunnel entrance but Troy turned and saw the monster swing his fist forward again.

"LOOK OUT!" he yelled, pushing his friends back… mere moments before the huge hand slammed into the wall in front of them – and stuck fast!

As the water sloshed over the monster's arm, it let out an ear-splitting scream of pain. The group cringed as it struggled to pull its arm out… and suddenly, the arm actually broke off at the elbow. With another roar, the monster dived back into the ground to lick its wounds.

"What the heck just happened there?" Cynder breathed incredulously.

Troy and Spyro however were staring at the broken limb. Based near the wrist was a strange black crystal glowing with a purple energy. "What is that?" the Rider whispered.

"I've never seen one like that before," Spyro agreed.

"Guys, be careful," Astral warned her friends. "I sense something evil about that thing…"

"It isn't natural," Hunter called out from the tunnel. "That crystal radiates with Dark Magic. Destroy it quickly!"

Spyro approached the crystal and carefully touched it with his paw then he drew back sharply. "Ahh! That crystal's draining my energy. We can't break this without losing our own magic."

"Let me have a go." Troy drew out his sword and swung it at the crystal but it simply bounced off it. "Wow, this thing's stronger than it looks."

"I've got an idea," Sparx chipped in. "Why don't we just get a big rock and use that to smash this thing?"

"Oh brilliant, Sparx," Astral scoffed. "Now where are we gonna find this big rock?"

Troy then looked at his sword again. "We don't have to, when we've got my sword." With that, he focused his energy. "_Conveias Terras!_" His sword shimmered and became as hard as stone then he swung down on the crystal, smashing it and the arm into pieces.

"Whoa!" Spyro cried out. "Good job!"

"Why, thank you," Sparx replied.

"I think he was talking to Troy," Cynder chuckled.

With the way clear, Troy and the dragons rejoined Hunter and set off down the tunnel. As they went, Hunter kept looking around, his ears twitching as he listened for trouble. "We are close to the surface," he hissed. "It's best that we remain unheard."

"Alright, big cheetah-man, I get the message," Sparx retorted quietly. "Sheesh…"

Soon they entered another big room with a large door on the other side. Troy went up to the door and pushed, but it wouldn't budge. "Rats, this door is locked tight."

Hunter then looked up and pointed to a large, hanging platform on which was balanced a large horn. "That horn must be part of some sort of locking mechanism," he reasoned.

"Honestly," Sparx sighed. "Why not just a lock and key like normal folks?"

Astral then pointed to two small wheels next to the entrance. "This must be what lowers and raises the platform," she explained. "Let's give it a go."

Spyro and Cynder ran up to the wheels and began to spin them with their paws. Troy watched as the platform slowly dropped to the ground, but then Grublins burst out of the ground around them.

"Don't let them surround you," Hunter cried out as he grabbed his bow.

"Come on, guys," Astral called to the others. "Let's take them out!"

The dragons dived straight into battle, firing multiple elemental attacks at the Grublins. Troy focused his energy into Draconis and yelled, "_Conveias Venomus!_" His sword glowed sickly green and he leapt into combat. Whenever he hit a Grublin, it recoiled in pain and then fell down dead.

Despite their best attacks, the Grublins still kept coming and soon a whole group had them cornered. "This doesn't look good," Spyro murmured.

Troy however looked up at the platform with the horn right above the Grublin army. "That's it," he gasped then he turned to the cheetah archer. "Hunter, aim for the rope on the platform!"

Hunter looked at the platform then at the army and realized Troy's plan. He then raised his bow upwards and shot an arrow at the rope. With a swish, the arrow cut through the rope and the platform plunged towards the ground. Troy dived aside and Astral pushed the young dragons back as the horn came crashing down on top of the Grublins.

When the dust settled, there was no sign of the army, just the horn pointing towards the door. "That was genius, Troy," Astral gasped.

"It was nothing, really," the Rider replied modestly.

"But that was quick thinking, young human," Hunter beamed. "Now, we must hurry up and open this door."

"I got this," Cynder called out as she stepped up to the horn. Then she took a deep breath and blew a powerful Cyclone into the horn, making a loud bellowing noise. At once, the door began to swing slowly open.

"Hurry up and open the door!" Sparx cried out. "Open, open, open, open!"

At last, the door was opened wide enough for them to get through. But just as they stepped towards it, the magma-monster loomed over them!

"Not again," Troy groaned. "This guy just doesn't quit."

With a mighty roar, the monster swung its remaining hand down at the group and grabbed hold of Cynder. Quickly, Spyro and Astral dug in their claws and pulled on the chain that connected them to the young dragoness. Troy and Hunter grabbed the glowing tether and lent their strength and together, they managed to pull Cynder out of the monster's grip.

"This way, quickly!" Hunter cried, racing through the door.

Troy and the dragons set off after the cheetah as the monster reached out towards them again. Astral turned back to see the giant hand was almost upon them… but the monster just couldn't quite reach them. With a roar of frustration, it slammed its hand along the passageway, making the ceiling collapse around its arm.

Troy, Astral, Spyro and Cynder kept running until they heard the sound of running water and found Hunter waiting for them by the banks of an underground river, where they collapsed in a heap.

"I can't believe we got away," Troy panted.

"Yeah," Astral agreed, looking back over her shoulder. "What was that thing?"

"There'll be time for that later," Hunter told them. "For now, we'll follow this river. It will lead to shelter where we can rest for the night. Then, tomorrow we're off to Warfang, the Dragon City where Ignitus is waiting…"

Troy smiled as he climbed onto Astral's back. "And my brother, too. Let's not keep them waiting!"

* * *

><p>Some distance away, in the Dragon City, Cosmo was having difficulty sleeping and he wasn't at all surprised. For the past three years, the dragons and the humans have been attacked on all sides. Shortly after the Guardians had led the young dragons and the Riders out of the Temple, the Dark Master, Malefor had invaded the swamps and captured their home. A week later, Dorado, the Dark Lord led an army of creatures known as Grublins against them and began attacking the outlying populations. The Riders, led by Cosmo and his partner Orion, were able to save many lives and take them to the city, but Malefor and Dorado then laid siege against Warfang itself. And during that time, there had been no from Orion's brother, Troy or his dragon friends, Spyro and Astral.<p>

Now the young Psychic dragon lay in his bed, feeling great anxiety. _The Guardians have been doing their best,_ he thought to himself. _B__ut will it be enough. Oh, Troy, Astral, Spyro, where are you when we need you most? …I only hope they're alright._

With a yawn, he closed his eyes and finally fell asleep… and then, a vision flashed across his mind… _a giant magma-monster bursting out of the ground inside the city walls… the Guardians and Riders being swatted down like flies under its mighty fists… the monster falling from the top of a building, revealing four familiar figures, three dragons and a human…_

Cosmo woke up with a gasp and jumped to his feet. "I've got to tell the Guardians!"

He raced out onto the balcony and took off towards the City Temple. Soon he landed on the doorsteps and charged through the doors, running down the passageway towards the Dojo where he found the Guardians in a meeting.

At the sound of footsteps, Ignitus turned and spotted the dragon. "Cosmo, what are you doing here so late?"

"I… I've seen a vision… Master Ignitus," Cosmo replied between pants. "Spyro… Astral… Cynder… and Troy… they're still alive… and they're coming back to the city!"

* * *

><p><strong>And here endeth the chapter.<strong>

**Next time… actually I've decided not to keep telling what happens next. It might spoil it for those who haven't played the games.**

**See you then**


	4. The Forest of Danger

**So, here we are again and now our friends are about to make a shocking revelation.**

_**Disclaimer:**_** This story has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving humans riding dragons. Also, I only own my OC's and nothing else.**

**Now read on!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 3: The Forest of Danger<p>

With Troy clinging tightly to Astral's back, she and the younger dragons flew after Hunter as he bounded between the stalactites and stalagmites down the river. Eventually, they could see moonlight shining ahead and they landed on a rocky ledge at the top of a waterfall, looking out on the view before them. The Celestial Moons shone brightly in the sky, illuminating the river, the cliffs and the tops of the trees below.

"That's Twilight Falls down there," Hunter explained. Then he pointed to a sheer wall on the left. "Beyond that cliff is our campsite where we can rest."

"Alright," Troy nodded. "Let's get going."

Hunter bounded across the rocks down the falls while the dragons swooped down after him. Soon they landed on the banks of the river and were about to set off when the ground erupted around them and an army of winged Grublins burst out from beneath them.

"They've found us!" Hunter cried out.

"Let's get them!" Astral yelled as she led the charge.

Spyro formed an Earth Boulder around him and charged forward, flattening the leading Grublins. Astral fired a stream of water from her mouth, washing some of the Grublins back. Cynder spat out some sickly green orbs that coated the Grublins in poison which killed them off quickly. and Troy and Hunter dealt with any stragglers.

With the attackers dead, they set off towards into the forest.

As they walked, Troy turned to Hunter. "You're quite a skilled archer. You remind me of a human we met in our travels. Don't suppose you know someone by the name of Darrius Bloodwolf?"

"I do," Hunter replied. "He's with the Dragon Riders. He showed up at the Temple, riding a Skurvywing. Everyone was shocked at first, but then he explained how you saved his life. Orion was amazed by the story and impressed by his skills of riding a beast that he enlisted him with the Riders. He's partnered with an Ice Dragon named Glacia."

"I remember her," Astral said. "She and Hurricos are good friends. How's Cosmo doing?"

"He misses you greatly," Hunter replied. "Every night, he looks out at the heavens and prays to the Ancestors for your safe return."

Astral frowned in sadness. "Wow… I feel really bad for being away for so long."

Troy shook his head. "Three years… How else has the world changed while we've been gone?"

By then, they had entered a clearing by the river where they could see the cliff. Suddenly more Grublins shot out of the ground, followed by a much larger Grublin with a big sword and a sturdy shield.

Immediately, Spyro charged at the Hero Grublin but it raised its shield in front and deflected the blow. Even when Astral blew Dragon Fire at it, the shield protected it from the heat.

"This enemy's too tough for us," Cynder realized.

"He's one of the Generals of the Dark Armies," Hunter cried, shooting a Grublin down. "Don't let him escape or others will come!"

Troy then stepped forward and unsheathed Draconis. "Let me handle this guy; you guys deal with the Grublins."

The dragons nodded and charged at the horde. Troy then turned to the shielded enemy. "Okay, big guy. Let's see what you got."

With a roar, the Hero Grublin charged forward swinging its sword down, but Troy raised his shield and took the blow. He then swung his sword out and clashed it against the bigger sword so hard that sparks flew out. The bigger Grublin then slammed its shield into Troy's chest, making him stagger back then it swung its sword down again but Troy rolled aside quickly and jumped to his feet.

Angrily, the Hero Grublin charged forward again and raised its sword… but then a figure shrouded in shadow burst out under its feet, knocking it up. Troy gasped as Cynder appeared from the shadows, grabbed the bigger Grublin in her claws and kicked its sides again and again before slamming it to the ground. The Hero Grublin tried to get up but Troy acted quickly and thrust his sword into its throat, killing it dead.

Behind him, Hunter, Spyro and Astral ran up to their friends. "Are you alright?" Astral asked concerned.

"I'm fine," Troy replied, "thanks to Cynder."

The young dragoness nodded. "Glad I could help out."

The dragons found some Spirit Gems and healed their wounds while Troy used his Curing to sort himself out. Then they found a large old tree on the riverbank and pushed it down, making a bridge which Hunter bounded across. "I'll wait for you at the top of the cliff," he called back.

Troy and the dragons made their way across, but then Spyro turned his head towards some vines growing over the entrance to another clearing and stepped towards them.

"What's up, Spyro?" Astral asked, feeling the tug on her chain.

"I just sensed something calling out to me," the purple dragon replied. "It sounded urgent."

"Let's have a look and see," Troy said. "We'll need to get past the vines though."

"No problem," Astral replied and breathed a stream of Dragon Fire out, burning the vines away.

They entered the clearing and found a large chest lying at the end. Astral heaved it open and they found some armour inside; a silver tailpiece, a pair of large orange-and-green bracers and a black helmet.

"This is ancient Dragon Armour," Astral breathed. "These were only used during the great wars of the past, when Malefor and Dorado reigned…"

Troy pulled out the armour and then spotted something at the bottom of the chest. "Someone's engraved a message on the bottom." He read it aloud:

_Dear friends, if you are reading this, then it means Malefor and Dorado have returned to the Realms. This chest contains Dragon armour for two young dragons and a Rider's steed. It, and two other chests scattered across the lands, have been enchanted with a special calling spell that only the prophesied Purple Dragon can hear. Use them wisely and they will aid you in your quest to stop the Dark Master and the Dark Lord. May the Ancestors watch over you in these dark times. Trafalgar._

Troy gasped when he read the signature. "My great ancestor left these here. He knew Malefor and Dorado would return to this world."

The dragons tried on the armour and learned which piece belonged to whom. The helmet fitted perfectly on Cynder, the tailpiece belonged to Spyro and the bracers obviously went to Astral.

They then returned to the cliff side and clambered up the creepers, but then discovered that they could only reach a certain area and they could see another clump of creepers next to them. Then Astral had an idea.

She called Troy over and let him climb on her back. Then she jumped off the wall until she was hanging by the energy chain then, flapping her wings to gain speed, she swung side by side until she could grab the other clump of creepers. She then told the younger dragons to let go and they dropped down so Astral climbed up the creepers and pulled them up.

They soon found Hunter waiting for them by a small campfire. The cheetah then whistled into the trees and a small falcon flew out and perched onto Hunter's arm. He then tied a message around the bird's leg and looked into its brown eyes. "Go to Warfang; tell Ignitus I found them." With a cry, the falcon took off and flew north.

Nearby, the dragons were struggling with their glowing chain. Cynder scratched it with her claws; Spyro breathed fire on it; even Troy tried to cut it with his sword, but the chain still held. Astral then tried biting it, but to no avail. "Arrgh," she grunted. "This isn't working."

"Well, maybe if we try twisting it," Spyro suggested.

"Twist what?" Cynder yelled. "It's magic."

Sparx watched the display and chuckled, "I could watch this all day."

Then Hunter called them over before leading them to a nearby ledge. "You wanted to know how much the world had changed?" he asked, pointing out. "Then look to the sky."

The group turned and what they saw made them gasp in undisguised horror. On the horizon, a massive volcano was erupting, making the night sky glow an eerie red. At its base, a ring of fire burned across the lands and as Troy looked up, he thought he saw large pieces of boulder floating over the volcano.

With a grim feeling, the young Rider turned to Hunter. "The Dark Master and the Dark Lord… they've returned, haven't they?"

"I'm afraid so," Hunter confirmed his fears, "just shortly after your disappearance. They struck quickly, fuelled by hatred and malice, reclaiming the throne at the Temple… which through some Dark Magic, they now suspended above the land as a symbol of their dominance." He led the group back to the campsite and sat them round the fire. "We've been at war ever since… and every day, their forces grow stronger and ours lose hope."

Spyro had been listening with growing concern and now he bowed his head. "I've… failed," he murmured in a subdued voice. "They were all counting on me and I failed. How could I let this happen?" He stamped his foot in frustration.

"Hey, calm down, buddy," Troy said, placing his arm around his friend. "Some things were beyond your control. You shouldn't blame yourself."

"Spyro, Troy, you're lucky to be alive, all of you." Hunter's face became serious as he continued, "That was no ordinary creature you fought back there… it was an ancient Earth Golem of the Deep. They are the embodiment of destruction, summoned by Malefor and controlled by Dorado's Dark Magic. These are dark times."

"They need to be stopped," Spyro cried out, jumping to his feet. "I have to stop them!"

"And we'll help you out," Astral added while Troy and Cynder nodded.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down, tough guys," Sparx then spoke up, buzzing in front of Spyro's face. "We don't need to go around picking fights. I mean, we just woke up after being frozen for three years… got stuff to do."

Troy turned and was about to berate Sparx when suddenly a green energy blast shot out of the bushes and smacked Cynder in the face, knocking her out.

"What the…?" Astral gasped.

"Is she sleepy?" Sparx added.

Then two more blasts flew out and struck Spyro and Astral, knocking them out too. Troy and Hunter reached for their weapons, but too late as another two blasts hit them.

As Troy fell towards the ground and lost consciousness, he could hear Sparx yelling out as if in slow motion, "Nooooooooo…"

* * *

><p>In Warfang, the Guardians had summoned a meeting of the high-ranking Riders to hear the news of Cosmo's vision. Among them were Orion, Cosmo's partner and leader, Bloodwolf and his partner Glacia, Argos and his partner Hurricos, and Botanica and Hydrus and their respective partners, Godric and Athena.<p>

"I must apologize for waking you all up so late," Ignitus began. "But we have just received news that might be relevant to our cause. Cosmo has seen a vision of the future and will now tell what might happen."

Cosmo stepped forward and told them. "I saw the city being attacked by a Golem of the Deep. It was knocking down one by one and then… it was defeated by Spyro, Troy, Astral and Cynder."

The Riders and their steeds gasped in amazement.

"We couldn't believe it either," Volteer agreed. "But if it's true, it means our salvation will soon proceed into this metropolis and bring about a reversal in our ghastly situation."

"What did he say?" Bloodwolf whispered.

"He says that their return might change the tides of war," Glacia translated.

"I don't believe it," Hurricos called out. "I want to see proof that Cosmo isn't just trying to raise our hopes."

At that moment, a falcon swooped into the temple and landed on the head of a small statue. Orion stepped up to the bird, unwound a scroll around its leg and read out the message, "'I have found the ones you sent me to look for. We'll be heading back to the City in the morning. Signed, Hunter of Avalar'."

Ignitus let out a smile. "I think you'll find all the proof you need there."

Orion nodded in agreement. "My brother and his friends are indeed alive, and they'll be here soon."

* * *

><p><strong>And I'll finish there. After Christmas, I'll be away on holiday until after New Year's Day so I thought I'd do a quick chapter before then.<strong>

**So until then, have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year**

**See you soon**


	5. In the Valley of Cheetahs

**Hello readers and welcome to 2012! My holiday is over and I'm ready to continue my thrilling story. Hope you remember how the last chapter ended because I'm not going to recap.**

_**Disclaimer:**_** This story has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving humans riding dragons. Also, I only own my OC's and nothing else.**

**So… let the story recommence.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 4: In the Valley of Cheetahs<p>

A strange fluttering noise reached Troy's ears as he slowly came to. His head felt muggy and his mouth was as dry as a desert. As he opened his eyes, he tried to lift his hand to his head but he found that he couldn't. When his vision cleared, he discovered that his hands were tied behind his back with thick ropes and that Hunter was sitting next to him, also tied up.

"You're awake," the cheetah observed glumly.

"What happened to us?" Troy groaned.

"We were hit by Knock-out Orbs. We've been asleep all night."

Troy looked up and saw they were sitting at the base of a flagpole where a red flag was raised and blowing on the breeze. Then he heard some groans from nearby and he turned to see Spyro, Astral and Cynder sitting up, the energy chain tethered to a second flagpole by a green lock. Next to the lock, a lantern containing the stirring figure of Sparx spun idly around. Looking round, he could see wooden huts inside a large wooden fence.

"Where are we?" Astral asked.

Hunter bowed his head sadly. "We're in the Valley of Avalar and this… is my home village."

"Your home?" Troy gasped. "Then why are you tied up with us?"

"Maybe we should ask those guys," Cynder replied, nodding her head towards the path.

Troy looked round to see a group of cheetahs approaching; led by a red-coated cat with a red cloak, a sword in one paw and a very angry look on his face. As they reached the flagpoles, the red cheetah glanced at Troy and the dragons with utter disgust.

"Dragons and humans, bah," he spat before turning to Hunter. "Do you have so little respect for our laws that you form an alliance with the very ones who caused all our misfortunes?"

"Chief Prowlus," Hunter replied sternly. "Malefor and Dorado; they alone are responsible. This dragon and the human are our last hope; you must see that."

"Yes, yes, the purple dragon and the Dragon Rider… I know the stories," Prowlus growled impatiently. "But unlike you, I have not forgotten what they say Malefor and Dorado were like when they were young. And I have not forgotten either what SHE has done!" He pointed his sword at Cynder who flinched and turned away.

"Hey, leave her alone!" Troy cut in sharply.

"Silence, human," Prowlus snarled, slapping Troy across the cheek. "This is none of your concern!" He then stared Hunter right in the eyes. "I relied on you, Hunter, as I must rely on all of us in the village to protect us. But you chose to abandon us and bring the dangers of the outside world with you when you returned!"

"The dangers are all around us," Hunter retorted. "Don't pretend to ignore them!"

"Hey, can't you guys just stop arguing?" Sparx called out from his lantern cell. "It's getting awkward for everybody…"

Just then, a cry came out from a nearby tower. "Grublins! In the Valley! Prepare your weapons!"

Troy looked up and saw several Grublins swarming towards the village. One Grublin threw a small fireball over the wall, hitting one of the huts and setting it alight. As the other cheetahs ran to grab their weapons and put out the fire, Prowlus turned back to the group in anger. "Now see what you've done!"

"Even if you hadn't captured us, they still would have come," Troy shot back.

"Let us go," Spryo cried out. "We can help!"

"Our warriors can handle this," Prowlus countered.

By then, the army of Grublins had entered the village wall and was closing fast.

"Are you so sure about that?" Astral challenged.

"Now is not the time to be stubborn!" Cynder agreed.

"Hey, a lot of weird stuff happens when they get upset," Sparx suggested. "I'd listen if I were you."

Prowlus let out a sigh of disdain then he took out a key and unlocked the lock holding the dragon's chain. Spyro quickly opened the lantern and released Sparx while Astral ran up to Troy and cut through his ropes with her claws.

Troy got to his feet and pulled out his sword. "Let's save the village!"

They charged down the path towards the burning huts and intercepted the Grublins. Astral ran up to the huts and fired her Water Stream, putting out the majority of the flames. Spyro and Cynder kept the approaching Grublins at bay, Cynder with her Cyclone and Spyro with his Earth Missiles. Troy made quick work of some of the flying Grublins with his Channeling skills and his shield. One of the fireballs was flung at some young cubs, but Troy flung his protective cloak over them just seconds before it hit.

In the middle of the fight, Sparx spotted some distant dots in the sky flying towards the village. "Look, dragons! Yes, we are saved! WHOO!"

Astral looked round, spotted the figures and gasped. "Sparx, those things aren't dragons! They're Wyverns!"

Troy looked up and stared at the approaching creatures. They looked like snakes with the wings of flying squirrels and were the same colour as the Golem in the catacombs. With an unearthly screech, they swooped down towards the village.

"AAAAAAAAAGH!" Sparx screamed. "They're not dragons! We are all gonna die!"

"Not on our watch," Astral scowled.

With that, she jumped into the air and began to spin around, breathing Torrent as she did so until her body was hidden in a vortex of water that swept a third of the Wyverns away. Spyro then focused his power, shooting bolts of electricity from his body which hit three other Wyverns. Cynder finished off the Wyverns by spinning in a cartwheel and hitting them with deadly venom.

A final group of Grublins charged towards the dragons, but Troy raised his sword and focused his energy. "_Conveias Terrosis_!" His sword began to glow with an eerie red light and he slammed it into the ground, sending a wave of energy into the Grublins and sending them reeling back. Troy then charged into them and took them out, aided by Prowlus and the other cheetahs.

With the enemy defeated, Prowlus examined the damage to the village. Three huts had burnt to the ground, but thankfully nobody was seriously injured. "Is everyone alright?" he called out.

"No, Chief," one of the villagers replied. "Meadow is missing. He had gone upstream to search for herbs this morning and has not returned."

"We have to find him," another cheetah proclaimed.

"No," Prowlus growled. "It's too dangerous to mount a search now."

The other cheetahs bowed their heads in despair.

"We'll go," Troy announced. "My friends and I can find Meadow. Hunter can come with us."

Hunter looked up at those words, but Prowlus glared at him before turning back to Troy. "You and the dragons are free to do as you see fit, but Hunter stays with us. However, if you remain true to your word and return with Meadow, I may reconsider. But don't bother returning before then, as you'll likely only succeed in attracting more Grublins to the village."

"Charming," Astral scoffed.

"Come on, guys," Troy said as he led his friends down the path. "The sooner we find Meadow, the sooner we get to Warfang and the better for the Guardians."

They soon left the village and stared at the beautiful scenery ahead. A massive field spread out before them with a wide river snaking through the middle, fed by two waterfalls on either side of the valley, the mountains towering overhead.

Astral lowered her head and examined the ground. "There are some cheetah tracks here, leading off to the left."

They set off upstream following the trail until Astral stopped them. "Look at that." She pointed to several scratches in the dust. "Here, the tracks are joined by smaller sets and then there's some snaky trail leading towards the waterfall."

Troy rubbed his chin in thought. "Some of the Grublins can fly, so they must have carried Meadow between them. That snake trail must be Meadow's tail scraping the ground."

"Good thinking, Troy," Astral cried. "Let's follow it!"

Soon, they reached the base of the waterfall where they discovered a small cave under the spray. They entered and set off down the tunnel until they entered a wide cave. And there on the opposite wall, his hands and feet encased in rocks, was an orange-furred cheetah with a small bag on his waist.

"That has to be Meadow," Spyro cried out. "Come on, we have to help him!"

"Hold on, guys," Troy commanded. "Something doesn't feel right…"

Suddenly a loud screeching roar rang out and then, a whole swarm of Grublins burst out of the ground and surrounded the group, closely followed by three human-sized enemies wielding crossbows.

"It's a trap!" Cynder yelled.

Troy pulled out his sword and glared at the armies. "Come on, guys. Let's take them out!"

The Grublins charged towards the group but Spyro charged forward in a Comet Dash and split the swarm in two. Astral blasted green energy balls at some of the Grublins, trapping them in vines, while Cynder flew around and created a Twister that made the others spin through the air.

Troy meanwhile ran at the Bowmen Orcs, holding up his shield to protect him from the arrows zinging at him. As he ran, he focused his energy and cried out, "_Conveias Venomus!_" At once, the sword glowed sickly green and he swung it at one of the Orcs, glancing off its side. The archer staggered back and turned to shoot at Troy, but then it suddenly collapsed dead.

The other Orcs turned towards Troy who then called out, "_Conveias Zephyrus!_" A gust of wind swirled around the sword and the young Rider began to swing it around in front of him, generating a powerful gale that sent the two Orcs flying backwards into the cave wall. While they lay stunned, Troy ran forward and cut them down.

With the enemy dead, Troy and the dragons ran up to where Meadow hung, but then the rocks holding his hands and feet to the wall crumbled and fell down, sending the cheetah sprawling to the ground. Three flying Grublins emerged from the dust, but when they saw how outnumbered they were and the group glowering at them, they dived into the ground in retreat.

Meadow sat up and turned to the group with a faint but very relieved smile. "Thank you… friends," he murmured. "You saved my life."

"Finally, some gratitude," Sparx said grumpily. "You're… welcome."

"You've met Chief Prowlus, no doubt," Meadow sighed. "Not all of us are of the same mind."

"Well, _that's _putting it mildly, isn't it?" Astral said, rolling her eyes.

"Can you move?" Spyro asked concerned. "We need to get you out of here."

Meadow tried to push himself up, but fell back with a groan of pain. "I'm sorry… I'm afraid my leg is broken. Just go back to the village and tell them where I am…"

But Troy shook his head. "Your leader doesn't trust us. If we return without you, he'll likely assume the worst…"

"Yeah, and blame us for it," Cynder added.

Meadow slapped his forehead with a growl. "Oh, the fool… I understand." He thought for a moment then spoke up. "There's a raft at the far end of the valley. If you could bring it here, perhaps I could pull myself onto it."

"Okay," Spyro nodded. "We'll do it."

"To launch it," Meadow continued, "you'll need the weights from the supply cave, but it's locked."

"Oh, that figures," Sparx sighed.

"There is a hermit who lives beneath the waterfall at the other end of the valley," Meadow explained. "He'll have the key to the supply cave. But the entrance to his lair is hidden. Look for the markings on the wall to open the path."

"Oh, pfff, easy," Sparx said, counting out the directions on his fingers. "Uh, raft, cave, muh-fuh-derda, der-rah-rah- de-hmmmm… Got it. Yes!"

"Alright, let's get going," Astral cried out, turning to lead the way out.

"Actually," Troy said then, "I'm going to stay with Meadow."

"What do you mean?" Cynder asked.

"If we leave Meadow here alone, the Grublins will likely come back and kill him," Troy explained. "Also, I know how to treat a injury like this. My mom was a nurse back at the Broken Isles and she taught me a little bit about treating wounds. I'll patch up Meadow's leg and help him get to the cave entrance while you three get the key from the hermit, launch the raft and bring it back here."

Astral nodded. "Alright, that sounds good. We can use our Telepathic Communication to keep in touch. Let's go, guys."

Spyro turned to Meadow and bowed his head. "We'll come back for you, I promise."

With that, the dragons left the cave to search the valley, while Troy turned back to Meadow to treat his wounds.

* * *

><p><strong>And here I'll end this chapter.<strong>

**So I'll conclude the Avalar adventure in the next chapter.**

**See you soon**


	6. The Hermit's Warning

**Back again with this next chapter, and things will take a new turn.**

_**Disclaimer:**_** This story has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving humans riding dragons. Also, I only own my OC's and nothing else.**

**So let's continue.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 5: The Hermit's Warning<p>

Once the dragons stepped out of the cave, they took off and flew downstream to the other side of the valley. As they flew, Spyro spotted some Grublins gathered by the river's edge and sighed. "This place was so peaceful. And now those Grublins are going to ruin it all. Malefor and Dorado have a lot to pay for this."

"There'll come a time when we may have to fight them," Astral replied. "But right now, we have to focus on the task at hand."

At last, they spotted where the river was joined by a second tributary and flew upstream until they saw the second waterfall and landed on the shore.

"Okay," Astral said. "Meadow said to look for the marking on the wall to find the Hermit's cave."

"Well, that's gonna be easy," Sparx sighed.

"Would that be what we're looking for?" Cynder asked, pointing to a large paw print carved into the stone face by the waterfall.

Spyro stepped forward to look… and the wall slid up, revealing a tunnel leading into a deep cave. "That's it! Nice job, Cynder!"

"Thanks," the smaller dragoness beamed.

They traveled down the tunnel to a deep canyon with sheer cliffs. They tried to fly through, but the wind was too strong and held them back. Then Spyro found another tunnel that led them to an overhang near the canyon's top next to a large clearing. Astral shot out some Seed Bombs at the wall which made some vines grow down and they climbed across to the clearing.

"There's a cave up there," Astral called out. "That must be where the Hermit lives. Let's go."

But as they stepped forward, a strange guttural screech rang out. The dragons turned to see a horde of shadowy monkey-like skeletons with glowing green eyes emerging from a hidden tunnel.

"What are those things?" Spyro gasped.

"They look like Apes," Cynder realized. "What's happened to them?"

"It doesn't matter now," Astral cried out. "They're still Apes and we have to take them out."

With that, she launched her Water Stream at the Apes, knocking several back. Cynder blasted her Siren Scream that made the Apes cover in terror and Spyro took them out with Ice Shards.

Another horde charged out to attack, but at the same time, Spyro, Cynder and Astral felt a strange power enter their bodies. "What's happening?" Cynder called out.

"It's our new Fury," Astral realized. "This allows us to use our most powerful elements for a short time; Convexity for you and Spyro, and Solaris for me. We have to unleash it together. Focus our powers and LET THEM FLOW!"

They concentrated their energy, felt their bodies shining with power and then opened their jaws and shot out three powerful beams at once; two dark purple and one glowing white. The Apes screeched in alarm and tried to flee, but they were completely obliterated.

"Wow," Spyro panted. "That was incredible."

Astral was about to agree, when a loud cracking sound was heard. Spyro and Cynder stared in amazement as the larger dragoness's collar began to spark and shimmer… then it completely shattered! The chain holding her faded, but Spyro and Cynder remained tethered.

"What just happened there?" Cynder breathed.

"It must been the power of Solaris," Astral gulped. "Its energy was too filled with purity for the collar to handle."

"But why are we still chained?" Spyro sighed.

"I don't know." Astral shook her head. "But I'm sure the Guardians will know what to do. Now let's find the Hermit."

"Come closer, so I can see you in the light," a crackled drawl called out from the shadows.

The dragon spun round and saw a grey-furred cheetah in a green cloak and holding a ball-topped cane in one paw, regarding the group with narrowed eyes.

"Tell me," he wheezed, "why have you returned here?"

"What do you mean?" Spyro asked. "I've never been here before."

"Neither have I," Astral added.

"Not you two, the young female," the Hermit growled, pointing at Cynder.

"You must be mistaken," she said.

"Indeed," the old cheetah hissed, staring at the young dragoness's face. "Your appearance has changed, but not your eyes. Your eyes give everything away. You are the black dragon, Cynder… the Terror of the Skies… the Dark Master's puppet!"

"I was," Cynder stammered. "But… I'm not anymore. I'm not proud of the things I've done."

"Oh, is it _THAT _simple, to turn your back on Malefor and his keeper, Dorado?" The Hermit's voice seemed to get more sinister as he spoke.

"You don't have to listen to him, Cynder," Spyro reassured his friend.

Astral looked confused. "What do you mean by 'his keeper'? Dorado serves Malefor; everyone knows that."

The Hermit just sniggered. Then a loud screech rang out and the dragons spotted some more skeletal Apes gathered on the cliffs above them. "Did you not recognize the creatures that moved in the shadows? The Apes too served the Dark Master and the Dark Lord, but more for their own greed and thirst for power than any true loyalty to them. This is how Malefor and Dorado repaid them… doomed to remain in the dark, feeding off the power of others, never being fulfilled. You can run," he chortled cruelly, "but you cannot hide, Cynder!"

Cynder bowed her head in shame while Astral stepped forward angrily. "Cynder, Spyro… let's just go."

The dragons turned to leave, but the Hermit called out to them, "The Dark Master and the Dark Lord will find you!" His wheezing laugh rang through the caves.

Spyro turned to his friend. "Cynder… are you ok?"

"I'm fine," she snapped back. "I'll be fine."

"Well, I'm not," Sparx retorted as he buzzed up, hands behind his back. "Can you believe this guy?" He muttered in a croaky voice almost like the Hermit. "Sheesh; okay, at least it wasn't a complete waste of time." With that, he whipped his hands out to show them a large silver key. "Ta-daaa!"

The dragons gasped in disbelief. "Way to go, Sparx!" Astral cheered.

"Come on, whatcha waiting for?" the dragonfly called out.

With new hope filling their chests, they left the caves and flew off into the valley. Soon, they found a large windmill above the trees where they found the supply cave and opened it, finding a large pile of weights. Spyro and Cynder each grabbed one and they set off downstream until they found a dock with a raft held in place above the water by two clamps. The younger dragons placed the weights on the pressure plates which released the raft into the river and Astral grabbed it before it floated away.

"Okay, that's that done," Spyro said. "Now how do we get the raft back to Troy and Meadow?"

"I have an idea," Astral said. "You two are still chained to each other; how about one of you holds on to the raft, while the other pulls on the chain to tow them both?"

"Well, at least this chain will come in handy," Cynder agreed. "But what will you do?"

"I noticed that there were some gates that could block the path upstream," Astral continued. "So I'll open the gates, defeating any guards there, and clear the way for you two. What do you say?"

Spyro and Cynder nodded in agreement. Then Cynder leapt aboard the raft and grabbed onto the ropes and Spyro took off and began to pull the raft along. Astral flew on ahead, focusing her energy to speak to Troy telepathically…

* * *

><p>Back at the cave, Troy had been treating Meadow's wounds very carefully. First he had found a long stick to use as a splint and tore a strip of his shirt to tie the stick onto the cheetah's leg. Then he found a long branch to use as a crutch and was about to lift Meadow up when he heard Astral's voice in his mind. "<em>Troy, can you hear me?<em>"

Troy quickly moved to a corner of the cave so he could talk in his mind. "_Yes, Astral, I'm here. What's happening at your end?_"

"_We found the Hermit and some really spooky Apes. Meadow never said how mean that guy was. He tormented poor Cynder about her past and warned that Malefor and Dorado would find her again._"

"_That's terrible. How's Cynder?_"

"_She said she'll be fine but I think she's hurting inside. Anyway, Sparx managed to get the key and we've launched the raft. We should be there within the hour._"

"_Good work, Astral. I'll see you at the entrance._"

He ended the conversation, hoping Astral would be okay from that mental drain. Then he went back and helped Meadow to his feet and began to lead him out of the cave.

"Thanks for your help, young Rider," Meadow groaned. "I'm sure Chief Prowlus would be grateful to you."

"He'd better be," Troy murmured. "Why does he hate dragons and humans so much anyway?"

Meadow sighed. "I suppose I could tell you. You know of course that when Malefor was young, he destroyed a human village. Well, that village was in the valley of Avalar and some cheetahs got caught in the crossfire. The surviving cheetahs blamed the dragons for not stopping Malefor earlier and they blamed the Riders for not being there. That was the start of the conflict. When Dorado joined the Dark Master's side, he didn't just annihilate the human ranks; he killed many cheetahs as well." He bowed his head sadly. "I guess Prowlus believed the humans and dragons were to blame."

"But you and Hunter didn't?" Troy asked.

"Yes. Hunter was exiled from the village for his beliefs, but I had to stay because only I know which plants had the best medicinal properties."

"Listen, Hunter's in the village right now," Troy told him. "And Prowlus blamed him for bringing the Grublins here."

"The fool," Meadow snarled. "They would have come for us anyway, with or without you."

"That's what I told him, but he was too stubborn to listen to reason."

"I'm sure after today, his attitude for you and your friends will change."

By then, they had reached the entrance to the cave in time to see a welcoming sight. Astral was flying ahead and just behind her was Spyro dragging Cynder who was clinging to the raft.

"You've come back," Meadow sighed in relief. "Thank you."

"Oh yeah, it was really no problem at all," Sparx chuckled. "I did all the work… nah, I'm just kidding." Then he whispered, "I really did…"

"Let's get you home," Spyro said.

Astral landed next to Troy and helped him get Meadow on the raft. As the raft floated towards the village, Troy suddenly realized something. "Astral, what happened to your collar?"

"Oh yeah," she replied. "It turns out that my Solaris element was strong enough to break the chain but just on me, not Spyro and Cynder."

"Very strange," Troy murmured.

Soon, they docked outside the village and Troy lifted Meadow onto Astral's back and they set off up the path where they found the villagers repairing the damaged huts. The blue-furred cheetah turned and spotted them. "Meadow, you are wounded! How-"

"I will be fine," Meadow reassured him, "thanks to these three dragons and the human."

The other villagers gathered round the group and carried Meadow away. Prowlus ran up to them and bowed his head. "Meadow, please forgive me. These dragons and the human willingly sought to help you when I chose not to."

Prowlus then led the group back to where Hunter was waiting and untied him. "I do not share your faith in this dragon and the human, Hunter, but by putting you in chains I committed an error."

"We all make mistakes," Hunter replied, rubbing his wrists.

"Yes, and I shall try to atone for mine if you permit me." The Chief pulled out a note with scrawls on it out of his pocket and gave it to Hunter. "Use the forbidden tunnel. It will lead you directly to the Dragon City. If this dragon and human are indeed our last hope, then I bid you safe passage… and good luck."

Hunter looked up at his chief knowingly. "We could use your help." When Prowlus didn't rely, the young cheetah nodded. "Very well, the invitation shall be left open."

With that, Hunter led Troy and the dragons out of the village and set off across the valley.

Soon as the sun was setting, they reached a section of the valley where the wall was marked with simple symbols. Hunter read the directions on the note and opened the wall revealing a hidden tunnel.

"Uh oh," Sparx gulped. "Hunter, do we have to go this way?"

"If we march quickly," the cheetah replied, "we shall reach the Dragon City by daybreak."

"Yeah, yeah," Sparx muttered. "Thanks for answering."

"Come on, guys," Troy called out as they set off down the tunnel. "We've kept everyone waiting long enough. The sooner we reach Warfang, the better."

* * *

><p><strong>And here I'll stop and leave you to ponder some of the little twists I added.<strong>

**So see you in the next chapter**


	7. The Battle of Warfang

**Here's my next chapter and the group are about to go to war!**

_**Disclaimer:**_** This story has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving humans riding dragons. Also, I only own my OC's and nothing else.**

**So let's continue!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 6: The Battle of Warfang<p>

Troy, Hunter and the dragons moved through the tunnel quickly, rushing to the Dragon City. After several hours of travel, Hunter paused and knelt to the ground, feeling it with his paw.

"I feel vibrations in the earth," he told the group. "We must be getting close."

"Finally," Sparx sighed in relief.

"Guys, check it out," Astral called from a nearby window.

Troy, Spyro and Cynder ran up and looked outside at the incredible sight. Tall buildings of white stone stretched out in every direction, there were statues of dragons all around and humans, dragons and moles wandered through the streets.

"It's huge!" Troy breathed.

"I've never seen the Dragon City before," Spyro said.

"It was built long ago by the moles in honour of their friendship with the dragons," Astral told them.

"Indeed," Hunter agreed, joining the group. "You see, before the Dark Master, dragons were quite revered. When the humans were invited to stay, the moles modified the city for their benefit."

"Sshh!" Cynder interrupted.

Troy then heard a strange muffled thumping coming from the end of the tunnel. "What is that?"

"I heard it too," Hunter said, seriously. "Quickly!"

The group ran through the tunnel and finally emerged blinking from the light, into the city. Hunter dashed up to a balcony and his face became grim. "It has begun."

From the fiery barricade of the volcano, a massive army of Grublins, Orcs and Trolls were marching towards Warfang. Fireballs were being launched at the ramparts. On the walls of the city, moles and humans were scattering in fear.

"We have to help them," Troy cried out.

"This way," Hunter called out, pointing down a street. "Stay close."

The cheetah ran down the path and Troy and the dragons followed behind. But then, one of the fireballs struck a nearby tower and it started to crumble down towards them.

"LOOK OUT!" Astral yelled, pushing Troy, Spyro and Cynder back – seconds before the debris crashed down on the spot they had been standing.

"Phew, that was close," Troy puffed. "Thanks, Astral."

"Hunter, are you okay?" Astral called out.

"I'm alright," the cheetah responded from the other side. "But you won't be able to get through this way. Go, find Ignitus!"

"Okay, good luck," Spyro said.

They turned towards a side street and entered a courtyard. Suddenly, shouts rang out from nearby. "HELP! Please! Help us!"

"Guys, look!" Cynder cried out.

Troy turned and gasped in horror. One of the smaller buildings was on fire and a small group of moles were standing by the windows, calling for help.

"They need our help!" Spyro shouted.

"I'm on it," Astral replied, dashing towards the fire. She breathed out her Torrent at the flames, but it wasn't enough to put out the fire.

"We have to help Astral," Cynder said.

Looking around the courtyard, Troy's eyes lit upon a nearby fountain that was completely dry and some nearby buckets. "Guys, if we can get that fountain filled with water, we might be able to carry some extra water and help them."

"Good idea," Spyro nodded. "Let's go!"

Troy, Cynder and Spyro ran down the road by the fountain and entered another courtyard with a drum wheel by a second fountain. Some Grublins were waiting for them, but Troy took care of them while the younger dragons spun the wheel until water began to flow into the first fountain.

"Guys, come quickly," Astral called out. "The fire's spreading further!"

The group ran back to the first courtyard, grabbed some buckets, filled them with water and ran to the fire. Troy gave Astral his bucket and the dragons took to the sky, flew up to the building and dumped the buckets onto the flames. Amazingly, the fire went lower and Astral used her Whirlpool to completely put it out.

"We did it!" Cynder cheered.

Troy pulled open the doors and called up to the moles. "Come on down, it's safe!"

The moles ran out and gathered round the group. "Thank you," the leader said. "Thank you, you… you saved our lives."

"Oh, it's no big deal," Sparx chuckled, ready to take the credit as usual. "Risking lives, saving people, dodging danger, taking it to the man… It's an occupation."

Just then, a young Fire dragon flew up and the human on its back called down, "Look out! Siege engines! They're sending in their war machines!"

Troy looked up to the ramparts and saw a mole manning one of the dragon-headed cannons, launching huge stones at the advancing army. "We need to get up there and help!"

Spyro turned to the moles. "Listen to me! Everyone who can still fight must get to the ramparts!"

"The rest of you, run," Cynder added. "Get under cover!"

A few moles ran into the city while the others followed Troy and the dragons towards the wall. Troy looked up the Rider. "You there, what's your name?"

"Artemis," the Rider replied.

"And my name is Blayze," the Fire dragon replied.

"Send this message to Orion, Artemis," Troy said. "Tell him that his brother has returned with the purple dragon and is helping to fight."

"Will do, sir," Artemis nodded and they flew off to the battle.

"Okay, wait!" Sparx murmured. "Putting out fires is one thing but… Hey! Wait for me!"

The group raced down the streets and up some stairs to the top of the wall. Troy noticed the wreckage of other cannons and realized the one he spotted was the last one standing. Down below, they saw a large black battering ram trundling up to the city gates and huge towers were scattered among the armies. Then, some Wyverns carrying Grublins in their claws swooped out the sky and dropped their load near the cannon.

"Help," one mole cried out. "We can't let them destroy that catapult. It's our only chance against that battering ram!"

"Come on, guys," Troy shouted as he unsheathed his sword. "Time we joined the battle!"

Together, Troy and the dragons kept the Grublins away from the catapult and took turns to repair it when it got damaged. Sometimes, the catapult needed to be reloaded so Astral had to pull a lever to load it again so the mole could destroy the closest towers. Other times, the towers reached the walls and they had to defeat the Grublins that poured out while Troy used his Seismic sword to smash the Dark Crystal, destroying the tower. Once, the mole got knocked out of the catapult and Troy and Astral had to protect him from falling fireballs and lead him back to shoot an approaching tower.

After the tower was destroyed and the dust had settled, the battering ram was still closer to the gate. Troy climbed onto Astral's back and they flew up to assess the situation. They saw that the armies were getting excited, smashing their weapons on the ground. Then Troy spotted some movement in the bushes nearby and then he saw a group of cheetahs preparing for battle led by Chief Prowlus!

The cheetah leader spotted Troy and Astral in the sky and gave them a smile. Then he turned to his tribe and called out, "Follow me!" And they charged into the fray with a battle cry, "AVALAAAAAR!"

Troy and Astral flew back to the ramparts and told Spyro and Cynder the news. With renewed hope, they took out the last two towers that reached the wall.

"I've got a bulls-eye, spot on!" yelled the mole behind the cannon, aiming at the battering ram. "With a few more hits, I might be able to take it out. Help me reload just one more time!"

Astral ran up to the lever and pushed it down, prepping the catapult. But by then, the battering ram had reached the gates and smashed through. Undaunted, the mole aimed the catapult and launched a boulder straight into the turret, destroying it utterly. At the gates, the moles and humans cheered in victory, but the moment was short-lived as a giant Troll emerged from the armies and charged towards the broken doors.

"Close the gates!" one human yelled to the others. "Close the gates! Don't let it in!"

The moles and humans tried to brace themselves on the gates, but the Troll smashed through and entered the courtyard. Hunter had arrived by then and had to jump to avoid the monster's mighty punches.

On the ramparts, Astral gasped as they saw the destruction below. "Hunter needs our help. We have to get down there!"

They ran down the stairs on the other side of the wall and into the courtyard where the Troll had knocked Hunter back. Nearby, the moles and humans had managed to close the gates and light two braziers that sealed them shut, but the Troll was still rampaging inside. As Troy ran up to revive the unconscious Hunter, the dragons charged forward, focused their energy and unleashed their Fury powers. Incredibly, Astral's Fury was more powerful than the others and she was able to vapourize the Orc.

Just then, the braziers faded, the seal burned out and the armies began to push the gates open again.

"Okay, alright team," Sparx said. "We've gotta keep those gates closed. So, you keep the gates closed. I'm gonna watch you to make sure that you're okay."

Troy and Hunter kept the armies at bay while the dragons helped the others close the gates. Then while Troy and Hunter braced themselves against the gates, Spyro and Astral lit the braziers again then held the gates shut until the seal came on.

As they relaxed, the mole by the catapult called out, "They're retreating!"

Hunter, Troy and the dragons raced up the ramparts and watched as the Dark Armies withdrew from the walls, driven away by the Guardians and the Riders.

"This is odd," Cynder said confused. "Why are they retreating when they were so close to taking the city?"

"'Why are they retreating when they…' Oh who cares?" Sparx yelled.

"I feel it too," Hunter agreed, rubbing his chin in thought. "Something's not right."

"They're turning around!" Spyro cried out.

Indeed, the Guardians and Riders were returning to the city. Then Troy looked up and gasped in horror. "Something's coming out of the fire barrier!"

From out of the flames, a massive figure emerged and stomped towards the retreating armies. Troy noticed the broken left arm on the figure and suddenly he knew what it was… the Golem that had chased them through the catacombs!

As the Golem let out an ear-splitting roar, Sparx cringed and whimpered, "Hush little baby, don't say a word… mama's gonna buy you, a big monster wants to kill me…"

The Golem then tunneled into the ground and dug its way towards the city, under the broken battering ram and the walls.

"It's in the earth beneath us!" Astral called down to the crowd below. "All of you run! RUN!"

The moles and humans ran out of the courtyard – seconds before the Golem burst out of the ground and swung its remaining hand against the wall, smashing a section. Then it lowered its broken limb down and somehow used the debris to build a new, larger arm and hand.

In the skies above, the Guardians watched the attack, flanked by Orion, Cosmo and the other Riders. Cosmo gasped in horror. "This is just like my vision."

Ignitus immediately took action. "Cyril, the city is burning. See what you can do about it! Volteer, try to distract its vision! Terrador, follow me. We'll attack it head on!"

Orion turned to the Riders and issued his commands. "Bloodwolf, Athena, help Cyril put out the fires! Veronica, Godric, go with Volteer! Argos, Stellan, Artemis, you're with me; we're going with Ignitus and Terrador! The rest of you, go to the city center and help the citizens! GO, GO, GO!"

As the Guardians and Rider flew off to their duties, Hunter turned to the group. "Go and find shelter, all of you. Leave us to deal with it." Then he ran off to help the others.

Cynder turned to her friends. "What are going to do?"

"What do you mean 'what are we going to…' Didn't you just hear Hunter?" Sparx cried out.

"We're not leaving," Troy said determinedly. "We can stop it!"

"I'm with you," Spyro agreed.

"And so am I," Astral added. "This Golem is going down!"

* * *

><p><strong>And I'll stop here. Phew, writing battle scenes are quite tricky. Also if you don't know who most of the Riders are, then you haven't been reading my last stories. So do it now; I'll wait.<strong>

**See you next time**


	8. Attacking the Golem

**Here we are again and our heroes face a great battle.**

_**Disclaimer:**_** This story has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving humans riding dragons. Also, I only own my OC's and nothing else.**

**Now let's continue!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 7: Attacking the Golem<p>

As Troy and the dragons ran through the streets of Warfang, they were attacked by Grublins and Orcs. Troy took out the Orcs with his Channeling skills while Spyro, Cynder and Astral took out the Grublins. Soon they reached a courtyard behind the Golem and raced across, narrowly dodging the monster's swishing tail. Once on the other side, the dragons pushed over a damaged pillar to form a makeshift bridge.

As they started across, two Ice dragons and one Water dragon flew overhead. Astral recognized the dragons immediately. "That's Cyril, Glacia and Hydrus!"

Troy meanwhile recognized Athena on Hydrus' back and smiled when he saw Bloodwolf riding on Glacia. "Darrius, look down here!"

Bloodwolf glanced down and beamed at the group. "Well, as I live and breathe! It's Troy and his friends!"

Cyril spotted them too and called down, "Spyro, Astral, Troy, this way quickly! Or ignore me at your own peril, whatever."

As the group ran across the pillar, the Golem's tail swung down towards them, but Cyril and Glacia fired their Ice Breaths at it and Hydrus used his Water Stream too, holding the tail in place. Meanwhile, Bloodwolf and Athena fired their arrows at the Golem's head but the monster reacted by swinging its fist out and knocking them out of the sky. With a roar of triumph, it stomped further into the city.

By then, Troy and the dragons had made it across. "Is everyone alright?" Spyro asked.

"Yeah I'm okay," Troy gasped.

"Well I'm not!" Sparx yelled. "Didn't you see what happened to Cyril and the others?"

"They're okay," Astral called out. "They've recovered from the attack and are flying into the city."

"Come on," Cynder shouted. "We have to move!"

They ran down the path and into another courtyard – moments before the Golem, who hadn't spotted them, knocked down a nearby building trapping them inside. Just then, Volteer, Tesla and Botanica swooped out of the sky.

"Look," Tesla's Rider, Veronica called out. "That's Troy and his friends. Cosmo's vision was right!"

"Hold on!" Volteer called to the group. "We'll get you out of there!"

As Volteer led his Riders towards the Golem, another army of Grublins appeared, this time accompanied by Orcs and Orc Archers. Spyro jumped into the air and did an Earth Boulder to take out some of the Grublins while Cynder launched into a Scorpion Strike against the rest; Astral used her Psychic Strike on the Archers and sent them flying and Troy took on the Orcs with his Fiery Sword.

With the enemies dead, Troy and the dragons ran up to a door blocked by wooden boards, but then three more Orcs burst out of the ground to bar the way. Suddenly, Botanica swooped out of the sky and fired some Seed Bombs down, trapping the Axmen in vines. Seconds later, two powerful Electric Streams shot through the debris, smashing it apart and zapping the Axmen.

"Volteer!" Spyro called out in glee as he saw the Electric Guardian waiting for them at the top of the stairs.

"And that's Tesla with them," Astral added.

As Botanica and her Rider joined the two Electric dragons, Troy and his friends raced up to them. But then the Golem's tail knocked down another building, sending it crashing down towards them! Quickly, Astral grabbed her friends and pulled them to the top of the stairs while Volteer, Tesla and Botanica took to the sky, narrowly missing the debris.

As Troy and his friends stood panting at the base of a tall tower, they saw a flock of dragons, several with Riders on their backs, flying overhead towards the centre of Warfang. Then they turned to see the Golem stomping in the same direction.

"It's heading for the upper part of the city!" Cynder gasped.

"Oh no!" Astral cried out. "The inhabitants are all sheltered there!"

"Then we can't let it get any further," Spyro decided.

"Right," Troy agreed. "We have to slow it down. Come on!"

They ran into the tower where they could see one wall was completely destroyed – and the Golem could see them now!

With a roar, it swung its normal, crystal-filled hand down at them, but Troy jumped aside and the dragons rolled away. Then Troy spotted something in the Golem's head. "Guys, there are some Dark Crystals embedded in its neck! If we can stun the Golem for a while, then maybe we can destroy them!"

Astral nodded to Spyro and Cynder and when the Golem tried to hit them again, the dragons struck out with their claws at the fist. After a few hits, the Golem recoiled in pain and lowered its head, revealing the Crystals. Acting quickly, Spyro and Cynder raced up some nearby stairs and attacked the first set of crystals and soon the cluster smashed apart, damaging the Golem's jaw in the process.

Behind the Golem, Terrador, Banshee, Hurricos and their Riders watched the action. "Now's our chance to strike," Stellan called out.

"Look out!" Terrador yelled.

As Troy and the dragons ran to the side, Banshee shot out Siren Screams at the Golem while Hurricos blew his Cyclone and Stellan and Argos fired their arrows, drawing its attention. Then Terrador curled into a ball and rolled through the sky at the Golem, his body glowing with Earth energy. Seconds later, he smashed straight the monster's chest and flew up to try again, but the Golem blasted him with a blast of fire. Terrador and Hurricos managed to dodge the attack, but Banshee and Stellan were caught in the heat.

"NOOO!" Astral and Troy screamed in horror as they saw the burnt bodies of their friends plummet from the sky.

The Golem then started to climb up the building and the group followed, dodging the attacks from its fist and tail. Soon they reached the second floor and faced the Golem again. Once again, it tried to strike at them with its fists, but they avoided the attacks and struck out in retaliation. When the Golem recoiled in pain, Troy and Astral ran up the stairs and attacked the second cluster of crystals, eventually breaking them and smashing the Golem's lower jaw entirely.

The Golem climbed up to the roof, stumbling as it did. Troy and the dragons raced up the stairs and faced the Golem again. Just then, Ignitus, Blayze and Cosmo arrived on the scene.

Orion gasped in amazement. "Look, there's Troy!"

"I knew it!" Cosmo cheered. "We have to help them!"

As the Golem raised its smaller arm, Cosmo shot out a Psychic Beam and caught the fist midway. Ignitus and Blayze then swooped down and breathed Fire on the top of the Golem's head, causing it to spark purple energy. Orion and Artemis raised his bows to aim for the crack, but the Golem raised its bigger fist and swatted Ignitus and Blayze back into Cosmo, sending them crashing into a tower. It then swung its freed hand down on the group but they jumped aside.

"It's up to us," Troy said grimly.

"If we don't stop it now, it will destroy everything," Spyro agreed.

"Alright," Cynder said. "I'm with you."

"So am I," Astral added.

"Why?" Sparx groaned. "Why do I keep going along with this?"

The Golem clasped its hands together and tried to smash the group, but they quickly dodged aside and immediately went on the offensive, attacking the crystal-filled hand. After a few hits, the Golem nearly lost its grip on the building and grabbed the edge to stop its fall.

"All right," Troy called to his friends. "This is our chance to strike! Spyro, Cynder, you get to the Golem's head and reveal the crystal! Astral and I will sneak behind it and destroy it. MOVE OUT!"

At once, Spyro and Cynder leapt onto the Golem's hand and it raised its arm to shake them off, but the young dragons took advantage of its distraction to leap off its hand and land on its head. Then they started attacking the crack on its crown, digging out the Dark Crystal from the rocks.

Meanwhile, Troy climbed onto Astral's back and she flew around the Golem's body up to the back of the head. As Spyro and Cynder revealed the Crystal, Astral flew closer and Troy drew out his sword. The younger dragons leapt off the Golem's head and at the same time, Troy jumped off Astral and landed by the Crystal, focusing his energy. "_CONVEIAS TERRAS!"_

At once, Draconis shimmered and became like stone then Troy raised the sword above his head and brought it down on the Crystal, shattering it into pieces. At once, the Golem let out a roar of pain and loosened its grip on the building, falling to the streets below. Troy was flung off its head towards a nearby building, but then a flash of blue shot out and grabbed him seconds before he hit, pulling back into the waiting claws of Cosmo.

"I got you, brother!" Orion called out.

As Cosmo flew back to the roof where Astral, Spyro and Cynder were waiting, the Golem smashed into the ground below, causing a mighty tremor that shook the city. Moles, humans and dragons emerged from the buildings to see what was happening. They watched as the Golem's body disintegrated into dust and rocks. Then one mole pointed to Troy and his friends and everybody cheered for their success.

As Cosmo lowered Troy down, Orion leapt off his steed's back and ran forward to grab his brother in a huge hug. "You certainly know how to make an entrance, Troy!"

"It's good to see you too, Orion," Troy cried out, tears streaming down his face.

Cosmo meanwhile went up to Astral and smiled. "I knew you would return."

"I knew you would know," Astral replied, rubbing her head against her friend's neck.

"And we knew too," a gentle elderly voice called out.

Spyro looked up and smiled at the sight of his mentor and the other Guardians flying towards them. "Ignitus…"

The Fire Guardian landed nearby and beamed at Spyro and Astral. "Young dragons, you never cease to amaze me."

"We never doubted you'd return," Terrador agreed. "Ignitus and Cosmo made sure of that."

Spyro's smile then faded and he bowed his head. "I should have come back sooner. I let you all down, but that won't happen again."

But Ignitus shook his head. "Spyro, you've done more than anyone could expect of a dragon your age. What matters now is that you are here and what's more, you've returned with your companions."

"Well, it's not like I've really had a choice in the matter," Cynder then spoke up, walking up to Spyro as their collars revealed themselves, "seeing as how we're stuck together."

"Interesting," Ignitus murmured as he examined the collars. "This device is foreign to me." He then turned to the group of moles who had just arrived. "Mason, what do you make of this?"

One mole emerged from the group and scrutinized the collars. "Never have I seen such a thing," he said, holding the chain between his hands. "It has the mark of evil…"

"Likely crafted by Malefor himself," Ignitus agreed.

"Master, there's something I should tell you," Astral spoke up. "I was wearing a collar too earlier, but when I used my Solaris Fury against some enemies, the power managed to break the collar. Couldn't I just use it on that chain and free Spyro and Cynder?"

"Not without seriously injuring them," Ignitus replied sadly. "I fear we shall not be able to remove it safely."

"What?" Cynder cried out. "But there _has _to be a way!"

"How can we fight back if we're made to fight like this?" Spyro agreed.

"Spyro, Cynder, you have done well to get this far, despite this," Ignitus told them. "Do not view this chain as a hindrance… but allow it to be a reminder of the bond you two share. Your destinies are now intertwined and that thought is a hopeful one."

Astral then approached the two younger dragons and pointed to the sword-shaped mark on her chest. "Think of it like the mark I share with Troy. Cynder, you said how your destiny was out there somewhere. Well, you've found it… side by side with Spyro."

Troy nodded at that thought then he turned to Orion. "So what happened while we were away?"

* * *

><p>A little while later, Troy was standing next to a tombstone at an area of the city called the Cemetery of Fallen Heroes. On the tombstone were carved these simple words: <em>Cassandra - Killed in the Line of Battle. Loving Mother and Selfless Hero.<em>

"How did she die?" Troy asked his brother.

"Two years ago, after the Dark Master took over the Temple, we'd heard news that Orion was preparing to use some Dark Magic to levitate it above the volcano," Orion explained. "I led an expedition to the nearby swamps to evacuate the citizens there. Mother insisted on coming with us, to help anyone who was injured. When we arrived, the Grublins were already invading. We fought valiantly, protecting the dragonflies and helping them escape…" He broke off with a sob. "Mother had been helping two such dragonflies when an Orc came in. I tried to get back to her, but… It happened so quickly."

Troy sniffed and pulled his brother in a hug. "I'm sorry. I should have been there."

"Don't," Orion sobbed. "You couldn't have stopped her either. She wanted to do all she could to help us. I saved her body and brought it back here. And the dragonflies came back with us, including the two Mother had saved; Flash and Nina."

"Hey, those are our parents!" Sparx cut in.

"Are they okay?" Spyro added.

"They're in the medical centre," Cosmo explained. "They help the medical team to deliver medicine and Spirit Gems to the injured. I'll take you to them."

"Let me go, too." Astral looked over at Troy. "Are you coming?"

"No," Troy replied. "I want to stay here a little longer."

Astral nodded in understanding then she took off after Cosmo, Spyro, Cynder and Sparx.

Troy knelt down next to the tombstone and gave a smile. "Hi, Mom. I made it back. Sorry I took so long, but… I guess I got a little sidetracked. Orion told me you were very brave. I'm proud of you, and I know you're proud of me too." He closed his eyes and bowed his head, tears streaking his cheeks. "I… I love you."

In that moment, he felt a soft whisper in the wind that seemed to be saying, "_I love you too, my son…_"

* * *

><p>That night, while the rest of the city celebrated their victory, Troy and Orion met up with the dragons and were now following the Guardians back to the Temple to discuss their next moves. As they walked, Terrador turned to his friend and colleague. "Momentum has swung to our side, Ignitus. Perhaps this victory will mark a turning point in the war."<p>

"I'd like to believe that," Ignitus smiled.

Suddenly, the ground rumbled beneath their feet and two purple auras burst out in front of them. One showed the face of a purple dragon larger than Spyro with glowing yellow eyes. "Citizens of Warfang, congratulations," it spoke in a deep, warped-sounding voice. "You shall be the first to witness the resurrection of the Destroyer… and the end of the world."

"Malefor," Ignitus growled.

Troy's attention was on the figure in the second aura; a tall bearded figure in a purple robe wielding a long staff with a Dark Crystal on its tip. He gasped as he recognized him from the statue back at the Well of Souls. "It's Dorado!"

With a sinister grin, Dorado raised his staff and the Crystal in the end glowed. Seconds later, the ground began to shake beneath everyone's feet. Then a human called out from the wall, "The volcano is erupting and something's coming out!"

The Guardians and the Riders flew up to the ramparts and stared in horror as a humongous figure pulled itself out of the mouth of the volcano. It looked almost like the Golem, but TEN times bigger!

"By the Ancestors," Ignitus breathed. "What is that thing?"

"That, enemies of the Darkness, is your doom," a sinister voice replied from the aura that Troy guessed was Dorado. "The Destroyer has commenced its journey to form the Ring of Annihilation. At the end of its journey, the Belt of Fire will spread across the surface of the earth in a torrent of fire and ash. Darkness will take its place across the land. There will be _no_ escape!"

Malefor and Dorado then burst into horrible laughter which echoed long after the auras had faded away.

"The Destroyer?" Cosmo gasped. "But that's impossible…"

"Ignitus, I don't understand," Spyro said fearfully.

"Nor do I," Ignitus sighed.

"What is the Destroyer?" Troy asked as they watched the monster marching west along the horizon.

"A very terrible being," Astral breathed. "The Ancients believed that this creature brings about the birth of a new world…"

"See?" Sparx interrupted. "That sounds like a good thing."

"…by issuing its destruction," Astral finished.

"Oh," Sparx murmured.

Terrador glowered at the Destroyer. "The beast moves too quickly. We can't possibly catch up to it. To set out in pursuit would be useless."

"Then we shall wait for it come back," Ignitus decided, "and intercept it before it completes it circle."

Orion searched through Cosmo's saddlebag and pulled out an old map. On it, Troy could see the city and the surrounding area. Orion pointed to a subterranean passageway in the southeast that led from the city to a deep river valley. "We'll have to pass underground if we are to possess the element of surprise. It might be our only hope of getting into position in time without allowing Malefor and Dorado to know that the city has been left unguarded."

"That passageway leads through the oldest part of Warfang," Cosmo explained. "If we leave quickly, we'll reach the valley just after sunrise."

Leaving Orion and Cosmo to round up the other Riders, the Guardians led Troy and his friends off the ramparts, through the lowest part of the city and soon reached a huge pair of golden doors. Mason studied the doors then turned to the group. "These doors were built as an exit to our city, not for going back in. They have to be opened from the inside."

"Spyro, Troy, Astral, Cynder, we will assemble the troops at the main gate," Terrador told them. "We're counting on you to get them open."

"But you must hurry," Ignitus added. "Time is against us."

Troy nodded and turned to his friends. "There's a hole at the side of the doors. It looks big enough for me and Astral to get through."

"Then let's go!" Astral said, leading the group through the hole. "There's literally no time to lose!"

* * *

><p><strong>And here I'll stop. Also for those of you saddened by Banshee's death, please note that there didn't seem to be any casualties in the game besides the, ahem… obvious one . I just thought about letting a few deaths slip into my story.<strong>

**By the way, I'll be away for this and the next weekend so my story will be on hold for a while. So see you when I see you.**


	9. The Ruins of Mystery

**Here's Chapter 8 and a few secrets are about to be found. Important note: REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENS ON THE TAPESTRY!**

_**Disclaimer:**_** This story has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving humans riding dragons. Also, I only own my OC's and nothing else.**

**So let's get going.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 8: The Ruins of Mystery<p>

After a while, Troy, Sparx and the dragons came into a huge cavern. On either side of the door, two dragon statues stood to attention like sentries each with their left paw raised. Before them, a long bridge stretched out into the darkness, lit by torches on each side and around them, they could see buildings and passageways built into the cave wall.

"Okay, Astral," Troy said, "how do we get the doors open?"

"The moles said these statues are the key to this door," Astral replied. "There are four crystals that fit into their raised paws. Getting the crystals won't be easy; Mason said that some strange creatures have been found in these caverns."

"Right," Spyro nodded. "Let's get going."

They took the left hand passages first, flying down to a platform at the base of a waterfall. As they landed, a troop of Ghost Apes charged out of a crack in the wall.

Troy gasped at the skeletal creatures. "What are those things?"

"They used to be the Apes," Astral explained, "but Malefor and Dorado cursed them into these forms."

"That's as maybe, they're still Apes," Troy said, pulling out his sword. "Let's get them!"

Spyro led the attack, leaping into the air and discharging electricity from his body, zapping the Apes. Cynder followed it up with her Scorpion Strike, Astral launched into her Whirlpool and Troy Channeled his Fiery Blade to take out the rest.

Setting off again, they eventually discovered a large platform with two braziers in the middle which Astral said would lower the wall that hid the first crystal. But as they flew over, a Troll burst out of the ground, ready for battle. But Spyro, Cynder and Astral had their Furies ready and unleashed on the Trol, killing it instantly. Then Spyro and Astral approached their braziers and lit it.

But the wall in front didn't open. Instead, a grinding noise behind them made them turn round… to see four more braziers appear in a circle around a vine-covered section of wall. Spyro and Cynder nodded to each other and flew up to the vines. Cynder grabbed the vines in the centre of the wall and Spyro swung back and forth to gain momentum then launched into a Comet Dash, lighting all the braziers in a single pass. Only then did the wall lower and the crystal get revealed… and another troop of Ghost Apes came charging out, but Troy and Astral took them out easily.

Spyro then ran up the stairs and grabbed the crystal. As he did, a wind tunnel formed above his head, a shortcut back to the bridge. Troy climbed on Astral's back and they flew back to the statues. The paw of the left statue closest to the door was glowing so Troy placed the crystal on. As he did, the statue turned to the left and another wind current blew out of its open mouth. They flew into the current and were blown up to the higher passage on the left.

Up there, no enemies came to attack, but they found a very strange puzzle. Hanging from the ceiling was a large block with a key on one side. Lower down, two large blocks barred the way to a massive lock on the other side. Next to them, there was an electrical conduit and a strange black gate with an opening at the bottom and a switch inside.

"How do we solve this?" Spyro asked.

Troy stared at the gate. "This switch must lower the key down, but I can't see how we can get in."

"I have an idea," Cynder said. At once, she disappeared in a cloak of shadow and seconds later, she emerged behind the gate and pulled the switch, lowering the key down and opening the gate.

"That's brilliant, Cynder," Astral called out.

"What now?" Spyro asked.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Cynder replied. "One of us holds onto the key while the other pulls it across. But first you must charge up the conduit to retract the blocks."

Spyro shot out a stream of electricity at the conduit, but nothing happened. "I guess we need a constant stream to fully charge it."

"Then it's a good thing you got me." Troy drew out Draconis and focused his energy. "_Conveias Electrus_!"

His blade began to crackle with electricity and Troy thrust it into the conduit. At once, the blocks disappeared into the wall and Spyro and Cynder took action, Cynder grabbing the block and Spyro heaving it into the lock.

At once, a section of wall opened and the second crystal was revealed, which Astral grabbed. Then they flew through the wind current back to the bridge and Astral placed the crystal into the second statue on the left.

With that done, they flew down to the lower passage on the right, where they came across an old mural on the wall. Despite the age and damage to it over the years, the picture was still clear; a three-horned purple dragon, surrounded by dragons, humans, moles and even cheetahs.

"Spyro, look at this," Cynder breathed.

"Whoa-ho-ho, is that supposed to be you?" Sparx spluttered. "They're all worshiping you!"

"That isn't me," Spyro replied glumly. "That must be Malefor." He turned his head back to the ruins. "Look at this place. The ancestors must have trained him here. They had such high hopes…"

Troy meanwhile had spotted an old tapestry lying discarded on the floor. He carefully unrolled it and stared at the picture. It showed the same purple dragon in battle with a human wielding a staff. "Guys, look at this," he called out. "It's the battle between Malefor and Dorado. According to this, they fought for quite a long while. Then here, Dorado stabs Malefor with something and… That's odd; the last section has been burned away!"

"But why?" Astral asked confused.

Troy got to his feet. "Something must have happened then, if Malefor allowed Dorado to live. What did happen in that battle?"

"We can't waste time thinking on that," Cynder reminded him. "We need to get going if we're to stop the Destroyer."

"Wait a minute," Spyro cut in. "I feel another Enchanted Chest nearby."

Troy looked around and then spotted a crumbling wall. "Is it coming from over there?"

"Yes, that's it." Spyro quickly shifted into his Earth Boulder and smashed through the wall, revealing the chest. Inside, they discovered the next three pieces of their armour: an orange helmet for Astral, silver braces for Spyro and a black tailpiece for Cynder.

"Come on," Troy said once the armour was fitted. "We have to keep going now."

"Oh, do we really have to go back to the surface?" Sparx groaned. "It might be safer if we stayed down here."

This passage had a series of obstacles to cross. First, they had to spin a large wheel to lower a platform down. Then Spyro grabbed a stone orb and jumped onto the platform and Cynder pulled it along while Troy and Astral followed behind, at one point clearing a troop of Ghost Apes who tried to block their progress. At the last gap, they noticed two pairs of tuning forks. Troy spotted a similar pair on the other side. "What are these things?"

"It looks like this mechanism is built into the bridge," Astral determined. "These forks must be activated if you hit it with an attack."

"Hang on, there's a red symbol next to the forks," Troy noted. "It must need a specific kind of attack."

"Hey, Cynder," Spyro said. "Isn't your Fear attack red?"

"Of course!" Cynder ran up and shot a Siren Scream at one of the forks, making it spin. She did the same to the other one and the bridge extended out, but only halfway.

"Quickly, get to the other side," Astral ordered. "I'll take the orb."

Spyro and Cynder flew across to do that, while Troy watched the tuning forks, noticing that they were starting to slow down. But the second half of the bridge then extended and Troy and Astral hurried across the bridge, moments before the first half withdrew.

Astral placed the orb on the slot in the pad and the wall dropped away, revealing the third crystal. But then, another Troll appeared and tried to steal it, but Astral blasted a Psychic Strike which knocked the Troll back off the platform and sent the crystal flying, which Troy leapt up and caught.

They returned to the bridge and Spyro placed the crystal in the paw of the right dragon statue nearest the door. It then created a wind tunnel up to the top passage where the obstacles weren't so tough. There was a big wall blocking the way, but Cynder grabbed some vines on the ceiling and Spyro used his Boulder move to smash through the wall like a wrecking ball.

Then they reached the platform which had the last crystal. At once, a third troop of Ghost Apes appeared, but Spyro spun in the air, launching Ice Shards until he became an icy tornado, freezing the Apes while Cynder grabbed the crystal.

Back on the bridge, Cynder placed the crystal in the last statue's paw. As she did, the doors gave a shudder and slowly slid open, revealing a huge army of dragons, humans, moles and cheetahs, led by the Guardians, Orion, Cosmo and Hunter. Spyro, Cynder, Astral and Troy smiled at each other as they set off down the bridge.

"We're getting closer," Ignitus said after an hour's march

Troy beamed up at him then he noticed Spyro looking very concerned. "Hey, buddy, you okay?"

Spyro just turned away but Ignitus saw it too. "I know what you're thinking, Spyro. Have no fear, young dragon… we'll make it."

"I don't understand," Spyro replied. "Malefor and Dorado are about to destroy everything, but you seem so calm."

"I don't imagine Malefor and Dorado would expend all this effort if he didn't feel threatened," Ignitus said thoughtfully.

"Yeah," Astral agreed. "I mean, destroying the world? That means they're getting desperate."

"But why should he feel threatened?" Spyro asked.

"Throughout our history, there is only known to have been _two _purple dragons," Ignitus explained. "Like Malefor, your powers go far beyond what you might imagine and he knows this. Malefor could have accomplished anything, but instead chose evil, a path that has been aided by Dorado's influence. And the world has been spiraling into chaos ever since."

"So Spyro's existence is nature's way of balancing itself," Troy realized.

"But the ancestors thought Malefor was going to be different," Spyro said sadly. "They believed in him. And look what happened…"

"Hmmm," Ignitus sighed. "Malefor draws his power from destruction. Destruction is the only way he knows."

"So… why should I be any different?" Spyro asked.

"Because I know you, and your heart would not allow it," Ignitus replied with a smile. "Because I believe you are destined for great things… to bring about a new age, an age of peace. And I do not see what role destruction will have in that age."

Troy then moved to his friend's side. "Spyro, we've been through a lot together and you've made the right choices throughout. Remember the Atlawa? How we helped them out despite Kane's behaviour? And how you flew into the portal at Convexity to save Cynder, even after everything she did to us? And how you led us halfway around the world to find the Chronicler and yet went all the way to the Well of Souls just to save her again? Now if that's not the sign of a just heart, I don't know what is."

"He's right, Spyro," Astral added. "We've come this far together; we can't start doubting ourselves now. We started this as a team and that's how we're gonna end it… as a team!"

At that moment, the army came to a stop and Ignitus nodded grimly. "Here we are…"

Troy looked up to see light shining through an open door. They had reached the canyon. "Right, this ends right now!"

* * *

><p><strong>And here we are! Hope that tapestry thing has added a little bit more to think of. I assure you, all will be revealed… soon.<strong>

**Until then, see you around**


	10. The Dam Busters

**On to Chapter 9 and a great challenge is on the horizon. Also, last month was the first anniversary of the first part of my trilogy. My thanks to everyone who enjoyed it the first time it came out and to those still enjoying it to this day!**

_**Disclaimer:**_** This story has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving humans riding dragons. Also, I only own my OC's and nothing else.**

**So let's continue.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 9: The Dam Busters<p>

As the army stepped out of the caverns, Troy took a look round. The sun had just risen over the top of the canyon, and on the horizon, he could see the Destroyer marching towards them. He knew it was only a matter of time before it reached the canyon and crossed the Belt of Fire above them.

Sparx meanwhile was taking advantage of the Destroyer's distance and was flicking his finger on it. "Gotcha… Gotcha… Gotcha, gotcha… Take that! Squishy, squishy."

"Oh, keep it up, Sparx," Cynder chuckled. "I think it's working."

"Sparx, cut it out," Spyro scolded his brother. "Now is not a good time."

"It's never a good time," Sparx sulked.

The Guardians however were watching the Destroyer's progress with increasing unease.

"How long until it crosses the Belt of Fire?" Terrador asked.

"We might have until midday," Ignitus replied grimly, "maybe less at that speed."

Astral looked up at the sun. "It's not that long until midday. We're running out of time."

Cynder, on the other hand, was glancing between the Destroyer and the canyon below before turning to her friends. "Guys, how deep do you think that canyon is?"

"I don't know," Spyro replied. "What are you getting at?"

Cynder nodded down the canyon and Spyro, Troy and Astral followed her gaze towards Sparx.

"What?" Sparx asked indignantly. "What are you looking at? Do I have something on my… is it in my teeth?"

Then he noticed they were looking past him and he turned round to see the massive dam at the end of the canyon.

"That… is… BRILLIANT!" Troy cried.

"Cynder, you're a genius!" Spyro beamed.

"I have my moments," Cynder replied modestly.

Astral quickly turned to the Guardians. "Master Ignitus, can you stall the Destroyer long enough for us to open the flood gates? If we fill the canyon with water, it may slow it down enough to give us a fighting chance!"

"That may work," Cosmo agreed.

Ignitus nodded in agreement and then turned to address the mixed army. "Listen to me! We must prevent that monster from escaping the canyon… no matter the cost. Every moment counts!"

"You heard the dragon," Orion yelled, mounting Cosmo. "LET'S MOVE!"

Ignitus turned to Troy and his friends. "We will do all we can to give you time. The rest is up to you."

"'The rest is up to you'," Sparx murmured. "Pffft, no pressure or anything."

Troy climbed onto Astral's back and turned to Spyro and Cynder. "Come on guys, there's no time to lose."

As they flew towards the dam, Ignitus watched them with mixed hope in his eyes. "Let's hope this is enough…"

* * *

><p>As they drew closer, Troy got a good look at the dam. At the very top, a stone dragon's head stared blindly down the canyon and two large paws lay at the bottom.<p>

"The floodgates will be on each foot," Astral called out. "We need to find weights to release the booms and then pull them open to release the water."

Just then Cynder heard some loud grunting screeches and turned her head to see. "Guys, look out," she yelled. "Wyverns!"

Troy turned to see six of the flying beasts swooping down towards them. "Quickly, get over the water!"

The dragons immediately flew towards the river, hovering as close to the water as they dared. As the Wyverns swooped down towards them, Troy drew out his sword and focused his power. "_Conveias Aqueous!_"

At once, his sword became covered in water and Troy swung it out. "Astral, midair turn, NOW!"

Astral quickly swiveled around in the air. At the same time, Troy swung his sword down and struck the surface of the river, sending a huge wave out at the Wyverns. Before they could react, the wave crashed down over their heads and swept them away.

"Nice work, Troy," Spyro called out.

"Thank you," Troy replied, sheathing his sword. "Now come on! We have to move."

They flew to the nearest of the floodgates and landed. Astral looked around and pointed to a ledge nearby. "The weights are in that room over there, but it's locked with a Shadow Gate. Spyro, Cynder, you two get two weights and bring them over here." The two smaller dragons flew off and soon returned, each carrying a weight in their teeth. "Now, put one on the ground and the other on the pressure pad."

They obeyed, Spyro placing his on the pad, and the big locks on the boom released. At once, the small dragons took the hint and ran up to the front of the boom. Spyro grabbed the handles on the front and Cynder pulled it forward. At once, water poured out from one side of the dam and the river began to rise.

Then Astral grabbed the second weight and they flew across to the second floodgate and repeated the strategy. The river rose up to the platform they were standing on, but no higher.

"It's not enough," Cynder groaned.

"What else can we do?" Spyro asked.

Cynder looked up the great dam wall and her eyes narrowed. "We have to let all the water out… all at once."

"No, no… here's what we have to do," Sparx spoke up. "We have to let _ALL _the water _OUT_, all at _ONCE!_"

Troy and Astral gaped at each other as they realized what Sparx was thinking.

"You with me?" the dragonfly yelled. "Let's blow this dam thing up!"

Suddenly another swarm of Wyverns swooped out of the sky and landed on the stone dragon's head.

"Uh-oh, look!" Astral cried out. "Reinforcements!"

"I guess they know what we're up to," Troy replied grimly. "We need to get moving."

With a nod of agreement, the group set off towards a balcony between the two platforms, entered the door at the back and went up the elevator to the next level. As they ran out onto a new passage, the ground trembled and a massive figure burst out from the path. It looked like a Grublin but several times bigger and it wielded a huge club and shield.

"Do not resist," it bellowed as some Archers emerged next to it. "Your deaths will be imminent!"

Troy scowled and drew out his sword. "We'll see about that, big guy."

The dragons charged at the Archers, blasting them with their breaths. Troy meanwhile ran up to the Hero Grublin and swung his sword out, but the Grublin raised his shield and blocked the attack. It then lifted his club up and brought it down, but Troy dived between its legs and jumped on its back before it knew what happened. Pulling himself onto its head, he raised his sword and thrust it into the Troll's eye. With a roar of pain, it raised his club again… but then the club was yanked out of its grip by Astral's Psychic Beam. Troy jumped off its head seconds before Astral blasted the club back into the Troll's chest, knocking it off the ledge.

With the enemy defeated, Troy and his friends found two more weights and set off for the dragon's head at the top. When they got there, they saw that the Wyverns were still waiting for them. "Okay, guys," Troy called out. "Here's the plan. Astral, we're going to lead the Wyverns away from the boom. Spyro, Cynder, as soon as they're gone, get the weights on and pull the boom out."

"And get ready to fly out of there, FAST!" Astral concluded. "Let's do it!"

Troy leapt onto Astral's back and she took off into the air, calling out, "HEY, freaks-on-wings! Come and get us!"

With a grating snarl, the Wyverns took off after her, leaving the way clear for Spyro and Cynder. As the flock drew closer, Astral blew out a stream of Fire Blast, singeing their wings while Troy Channeled his Electric Blade and took out the stragglers.

As the remaining Wyverns flew off in retreat, a rumbling noise rang out. Troy and Astral turned back to the dam… in time to see the stone head topple and suddenly, the dam broke apart, releasing a great surge of water into the valley. Then, Spyro and Cynder flew out of the chaos, rejoined the group and together they followed the growing tide.

Within seconds, Troy could see the Destroyer standing in the canyon, being distracted by the Guardians, dragons and Rider teams circling its body like moths to a flame. At that moment, Ignitus turned and saw the group flying towards them, just above the great tidal bore.

"EVERYONE, TAKE COVER!" he yelled out to the armies.

The dragons flew up to a safe distance while the foot soldiers retreated into the caves as the water sloshed over the Destroyer's feet. The monster let out a roar of pain as steam billowed from its feet and it struggled to pull itself out, but only succeeded in breaking one of its legs off at the knee. As it stumbled forward and grabbed the other edge of the canyon for support, Troy and his friends rejoined the Guardians.

"You did it," Orion called out.

"The beast's completely immobile," Cosmo agreed.

"Now's our chance," Terrador bellowed. "ATTACK THE DESTROYER!"

* * *

><p><strong>Oh yeah! Now things are looking up for them.<strong>

**Stay tuned for the next part of this great battle.**


	11. A Monstrous Countermove

**On to Chapter 10 and our heroes are about to face literally their biggest challenge ever! Also, sorry again for the delay, but I recently got a new job giving children a lift to and from school and I've been sidetracked as a result.**

_**Disclaimer:**_** This story has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving humans riding dragons. Also, I only own my OC's and nothing else.**

**So let's continue.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 10: A Monstrous Countermove<p>

With the Guardians at the head, the Riders charged into the fray. Orion and Troy led the assault on the Destroyer with Spyro and Cynder flying alongside. "Listen up, Riders," Troy called out. "There should be some Dark Crystals embedded on the Destroyer! If you can take them out, we might be able to defeat it!"

"I can sense at least twelve crystals along its body," Astral added.

"We'll cover more ground if we split up," Orion decided. "Bloodwolf and Veronica, take your group down to the Destroyer's legs. Athena and Godrick, take the left side. Argos and Artemis, head for the right side. Troy and I will take the underside. Remember, take at least one Rider that can Channel the Seismic Sword to destroy your crystal."

"Good thinking," Troy agreed. "Spyro and Cynder should come with us. Now, LET'S MOVE OUT!"

The Riders flew off in their groups to take out the Destroyer while the Guardians flew to the monster's head to distract it.

"Wait a minute," Troy cried as his group flew. "You guys know the arts of Channeling? I thought only I could do that."

"When you disappeared, I was visited by a mysterious figure in a dream," Orion explained. "He taught me the mystic words of Channeling and asked me to teach them to the Riders. He didn't tell me his name, he just called himself the Sentinel."

"The Sentinel?!" Astral gasped.

Orion frowned. "You guys know him?"

"Of course," Troy replied. "His real name's Trafalgar. He was one of the greatest Riders in history, and he's our ancestor!"

"Seriously?!" Orion gasped.

"It's true," Spyro confirmed. "We met him with the Chronicler."

"Wow," Orion breathed. "I had no idea."

"I'll tell you about him another time," Troy promised. "Right now, we have a Destroyer to vanquish."

Bloodwolf and Veronica led their team down the Destroyer's legs, splitting in half to tackle each crystal. A flock of Wyverns dived out of the sky to attack them. Tesla shot several down with Electric Streams while Glacia fired her Ice Shards at others, freezing them solid and sending them tumbling into the river. As they fought, the other Riders located the three crystals and destroyed them, sending a surge of purple energy racing up the Destroyer's body.

On the monster's left flank, Godrick and Athena's group landed on a platform and were immediately attacked by Orcs. Hydrus knocked some Orcs off with his Water Stream while Botanica trapped others with her Plant Bombs. The other dragons aided the battle with their respective attacks, aided by their Riders. Once the Orcs were defeated, Godrick and Athena led the Riders along the platform, destroying the three crystals on their side, breaking pieces off the Destroyer's flank.

At the same time, on the other side, Argos and Artemis were shot at by Archers standing on smaller platforms. Hurricos kept most of the arrows away with his Cyclone while Blayze quickly shot out Fireballs, knocking down most of the Archers. The other Riders lent their strengths in the battle, before seeking out the three crystals and destroying them, sending another surge through the Destroyer.

Meanwhile, Troy, Orion and their dragon friends took out another flock of Wyverns but their biggest trouble was getting to the two crystals. They found the first one was protected by lava spouts. "Hold on, Troy," Astral yelled. She and Cosmo then fired her Psychic Beam at the lava, deflecting them away from the crystal and allowing Troy to destroy it.

When they found the second crystal, Astral immediately flew towards it, only to get buffeted back by a powerful current. "It's not good, I can't get close enough."

"There's one chance," Troy decided. "Orion, can you Channel elements into your arrows?"

"Yes," Orion replied. "But I don't know the Earth Channeling spell."

"Just hand me the bow and an arrow, and help me to aim."

Orion tossed them over and Troy focused his energy. "_Conveias Terras_!"

At once, the arrowhead shifted into a stony tip, and Troy pulled back on the bowstring.

"Little lower," Orion called down. "Lower… Bit higher… There, shoot it now!"

Troy let go of the string and the arrow flew straight and true, through the air current and into the crystal, shattering it on impact.

"Bulls-eye!" Astral yelled.

"Thanks, Orion," Troy called, throwing the bow back.

"No problem," Orion replied. "Now let's go join the others."

Troy, Orion and the dragons flew up to the nape of the Destroyer's neck where they found the other Riders battling a whole army of Grublins and Orcs among the ruined buildings on the monster's back. Each Rider and dragon lent their powers and strength in the battle but soon the enemy was defeated and Troy destroyed the next crystal which opened a path into the Destroyer's interior.

"What now?" Orion asked. "We've taken out all the crystals, haven't we?"

"No," Astral argued. "There's one more crystal left, but it's right inside the Destroyer."

"We can't stop it from out here," Troy pondered aloud, peering down the hole. "But maybe…"

Orion nodded in understanding. "Get going, guys. We'll head back to the Guardians and tell them what you're up to."

Troy and his friends smiled and set off down the tunnel.

"Whoa, wait, wait, wait!" Sparx cried out. "You're not thinking about going _in _there, are you?"

"Come on, Sparx," Spyro scolded. "We're going to need you to lead the way."

"Oh come on," the dragonfly sighed. "You know I've got your back. I just like complaining. Let's go."

They kept going through the Destroyer's mouth and soon they felt the wind currents blowing down into the bowels of the monster.

"Remember, guys," Astral warned, "this thing was created from the depths of the earth. There'll be lava spouts and geysers to watch out for. Once the crystal's destroyed, we get outta there _FAST_!"

"Okay then," Troy said, climbing onto Astral's back. "Everyone ready? LET'S GO!"

The dragons took off and flew through the air currents down the throat of the Destroyer. On the way down, they narrowly avoided the dangers and caught glimpses of the world outside then eventually they entered a massive cavern where a gigantic heart made of purple stone and Dark Crystals floated over a pool of magma.

"There it is," Spyro called out. "Aim for the crystal!"

They flew in and Spyro, Cynder and Astral bashed away at the stone shell that surrounded the crystal, occasionally swooping back to avoid the erupting magma that flowed over the heart. At last, they smashed through the first layer of stone and as they did, a gust of wind blew them through a long tunnel before returning to the heart chamber.

"Just a few more blows!" Troy called out.

Once again, the dragons flew back to the heart and continued their assault. At last, the next layer was destroyed and another wind blasted them through a second tunnel. When they got back, they flew in once more and through their combined effort, they shattered the last layer, revealing the Dark Crystals inside.

"Go for it, Troy!" Astral shouted.

Focusing his energy, Troy summoned his Seismic Sword and swung the rock-hard blade at the crystals. On impact, the crystals shattered into pieces which flew across the heart chamber, except for one quite large fragment that pierced straight into Troy's left shoulder.

"AAARRRGHH!" Troy screamed, almost falling out of Astral's saddle.

"Troy!" Cynder called out. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine," Troy grunted, covering the wound. Then he noticed the magma starting to bubble and churn. "That should do it. Let's get out of here!"

As the magma reached critical point, the dragons turned and flew out of the chamber. Seconds later, a burst of lava shot out behind them.

"GO GO GO!" Astral urged the young dragons on.

And go they did. They zipped around the geysers and lava spouts and soon they flew straight out of the Destroyer's mouth, seconds before the lava burst out behind them.

From the cave's entrance they could hear the humans, cheetahs and moles cheering in victory. As they landed, Ignitus and the Guardians came to join them.

"For all your subtleties, young ones," Ignitus beamed, "you certainly know how to triumph with flare."

Spyro, Cynder and Astral smiled at their praise.

Troy quickly used his Curing powers on his wounded shoulder, stopping the bleeding but strangely, the wound didn't seal up completely.

At that moment, Spyro turned to face the motionless Destroyer. "What's happening to it?"

Ignitus looked up too and concern crossed his face. "I don't know. This is most peculiar…"

Then, a flash of shadow from the top of the canyon caught Troy's attention. He looked up to see a robed figure step forward and raise his staff. "It's Dorado!"

A surge of purple energy shot out from the crystal on the end of the Dark Lord's staff and flowed into the frozen face of the Destroyer. At once, the monstrous golem's eyes crackled with the same energy and its raised arm reached out and grabbed the edge of the canyon.

"No!" Astral gasped.

"What?!" Cosmo cried.

From the island above the volcano, the same energy flashed out and the Destroyer lurched forward, breaking off its other leg in the process.

"This can't be," Ignitus breathed.

As the Destroyer pushed its way through the water, Troy, Orion and the other dragons flew up to get a better view. They could only watch helplessly as the monster reached its hand out and touched the Belt of Fire. There was a blinding flash that made everyone shield their eyes and when it faded, the Destroyer was halfway through the flames.

"Hahahahahahaaaaaaa!" Dorado laughed from the other side. "You pathetic fools! You thought you could prevent the end of the world? The Darkness is far more powerful than that! I promise you, the Destroyer _will _complete the Ring of Annihilation and bring about the coming of a new world, and there is nothing you can do to stop it!" His laughter echoed across the canyon, even after Dorado had long since disappeared.

"Ignitus, what can we do?" Spyro asked his mentor.

"There is no more that can be done," the Fire Guardian sighed grimly. He then turned to the armies gathered below. "Listen to me! Not much time is left. Everyone must get to shelter!"

"What about the outlying populations?" Cynder asked in concern.

"And there are countless still inside Warfang," Astral added. "They need to be warned!"

"The underground city," Troy pondered aloud. "Ignitus, there are endless caves down there; we saw them. We can lead them there!"

"No," Ignitus replied. "I need you and your friends here with me." He then turned to Hunter, who had joined the dragons. "Hunter, send your falcons to the outlying regions and tell them to get beneath the surface, as deep as they can. Riders, head out to the islands. Warn the inhabitants of the dangers and get them underground. GO, ALL OF YOU!"

As Hunter ran off and the Riders went to their duties, Terrador turned to his old friend with a look of curiosity. "I know you're up to something, Ignitus. I've known you too long."

Ignitus sighed and looked round at his fellow Guardian. "Go with the others, Terrador. There will be panic and disorder… a strong leader will be needed. I'll find my way back once I get Spyro and the others through the Belt of Fire."

Terrador nodded and set off with the others into caves below.

"We have to confront Malefor and Dorado, don't we?" Troy said somberly.

"I see no other way," Ignitus sighed. "The Belt is weakened, and this may be our only chance to break through."

"Yeah, if we aren't incinerated first," Cynder gulped.

"Oh, come on," Sparx chuckled. "That doesn't sound so bad. We've been through worse, right?"

"Sparx…" Spyro let out a sigh of regret. "You can't come with us."

"What?" Sparx cried out. "But I _always _go with you."

"Spyro is right," Astral replied. "You wouldn't survive in there."

"You need to make sure the others reach the underground city in time," Troy added. "You've been there before; you could guide them to safety."

"It's important, Sparx," Cynder finished.

Sparx turned back to his brother. "But, you need me!"

"Right now, there are others who need you more," Spyro replied.

The dragonfly's face fell three miles then he turned to Spyro's friends. "Cynder, Troy, Astral, you have to promise me you will look after him. We…" He sniffed back a tear. "We've been through a lot together."

"I promise," Cynder replied.

"Us too," Astral added.

Troy nodded then turned to his brother. "Orion, I'm appointing you leader of the Riders until I get back."

Orion bowed his head and nodded. "I'll take care of them. And Troy…" He let out a deep sigh. "In case we never see each other again, I'm… I'm proud of you. And I'm sorry for doubting your beliefs when we were young. Mom was right about you; she would be proud of you too."

Troy nodded, tears in his eyes, and he grabbed his brother in a big hug. Then he broke off, turned back to his friends and climbed onto Astral's back. "I'll come back soon," he called out.

"I'm counting on that," Orion replied.

Ignitus, Astral and the younger dragons took off and flew towards the Belt of Fire. Halfway across the canyon, Spyro turned back. "Be careful, Sparx."

"Hey, it's me," the dragonfly replied. "Being careful is all I know…"

As the group followed Ignitus in pursuit of the Destroyer, Orion turned to his partner. "Cosmo, you can see into the future. Do you have any idea about what will happen to them?"

"Only a few brief glimpses, but yes," the Psychic dragon sighed as they set off into the tunnels. "They will face a great loss and their hearts will be challenged harder than they'd ever been. But as long as they have each other, their courage will shine through the darkness… I hope."

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><p><strong>And there you have it. Hope you like this chapter because the next one will be quite difficult for me.<strong>

**Anyway, see you next time**


	12. Through Fire and Lava

**Here we are at the next chapter… and the most difficult thing I've ever had to write. Apologies for the delay, but this had nothing to do with what happens here.**

_**Disclaimer:**_** This story has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving humans riding dragons. Also, I only own my OC's and nothing else.**

**Okay… here goes.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 11: Through Fire and Lava<p>

After a long flight, Ignitus, Astral, Spyro and Cynder landed on the edge of the Belt of Fire. Troy stared at the flames as he dismounted and gulped loudly. "This won't be easy."

"I should be able to offer some protection from the heat," Ignitus said as he stepped forward. "Stay close to me."

Troy and the dragons stood next to Ignitus as he summoned a bubble-like shield around them then they set off into the Belt. As they passed through the flames, Troy could feel the intense heat around them, even through the shield. But then halfway through, Ignitus began to struggle and the bubble started to fade.

"Ignitus, let's turn back," Spyro called out. "There has to be another way!"

"Let me help you, Master," Astral added. "We'll do it together!" But as she stepped forward, Ignitus pushed her back. "What are you doing?"

Ignitus turned to the young dragons. "Spyro, Astral, Cynder… I've never done right by any of you. Allow me to do this…"

"What are you saying?" Troy asked in concern.

The Fire Guardian turned to the Rider. "Troy, you need to battle Dorado… He's the real reason why all this is happening… You have to end it…"

Astral gasped in horror as she realized what Ignitus was planning. "Don't do it, Master! You must get out now!"

But the larger dragon shook his head as he looked at the group. "My path ends here… but yours lies beyond this…" As Ignitus spoke, his body started to glow and his voice grew weaker. "Draw strength from each other and follow your heart… it will never fail you…" He then raised his head and his body flashed bright blue as he forced the last of his energy into the shield. "Now go… Go… GO!"

Suddenly, Troy and the younger dragons were flung through the Belt of Fire and landed on the scorched lands beyond. Quickly, Troy, Astral and Spyro ran up to the edge of the flames looking for any sign of the Fire Guardian, but there was nothing.

"IGNITUS, NOOOO!" Astral and Spyro cried out.

"He's gone," Troy breathed. "He gave his life so we could make it through…"

As Astral turned away and Troy bowed his head, Spyro started to run back towards the Belt, but Cynder called out, "Spyro stop! It's too late. There's nothing you can do for him now!"

Spyro turned back in anger. "No, he isn't gone!"

"Spyro, let him go," Cynder whispered.

The purple dragon looked down sadly but then his body turned black, his eyes flashed white and he yelled in a warped voice, "NO!"

Troy and Astral spun round to see Spyro taking in the air and Cynder digging her claws into the ground in an attempt to hold him back with the chain round their neck.

"Oh no," Troy gasped as he ran up to Cynder's side. "Not again!"

"Spyro, don't do it!" Astral called out, grabbing the chain in her mouth.

"You can't stop me!" Spyro growled at them.

"You're right, only _you_ can do that," Cynder called out urgently. "Please Spyro, don't do this!"

At once, a look of despair crossed Spyro's face and he floated back down, his body turning back to normal. Cynder ran up to her friend's side. "We have to go on. He wanted us to."

"It wasn't supposed to be like this," Spyro sobbed, tears running down his scaly face. "I feel so alone."

"You're not alone," Cynder comforted as she rubbed her head against Spyro's cheek.

Astral meanwhile stared into the flames and sniffed sadly. "Farewell, Master Ignitus. May the Ancestors keep your spirit safe and watch over those left behind…" She broke off with a sob. "I'm gonna miss you."

Troy stood up and walked over to his partner's side. "We're all going to miss him," he sighed, patting Astral's neck in comfort. He then stepped forward, closed his eyes and raised his hands. "Great Ancestors, we commend the spirit of Ignitus into your hands. This mighty dragon has been a noble figurehead in this page of history; kind-hearted, noble, brave, strong and forgiving. He never gave up on us and gave everyone hope when things were at their darkest."

Spyro stepped forward next to Troy. "He gave me the confidence to face my destiny…"

Cynder added, "And he never let my past actions get in the way of my friends…"

"And he allowed me to join up with my partner despite the dangers," Astral put in.

"For all these things, we ask that his spirit will live on in our hearts and minds and guide us through these troubled times." Troy finished his prayer and they stood facing the flames in silence.

"That was very moving," Astral said to Troy.

"It's one of the prayers that my people say when we lose a loved one," Troy explained. "Come on, let's get going. We're running out of time and the Destroyer is getting closer."

With that, they set off across the Burned Lands, none of them seeing a flash of blue rise up out of the fires and disappear into the sky…

* * *

><p>The group descended the ledge and entered a field of lava spouts. As they made their way through, they had to fight an army of Grublins. Twice, they got caught when rock walls blocked their way and Grublins led by a Hero Orc appeared to attack them. But working together, they defeated the enemies and the barricades disappeared, allowing them to continue.<p>

After the second trap, they arrived at a cliff overlooking the Burned Lands beyond. A river of lava flowed several feet below them, and on the horizon, they could see the Destroyer stomping towards the volcano. Up above the erupting peak, they could see the floating remains of the Temple.

"They're up there somewhere, aren't they?" Astral muttered.

"Yes," Troy replied with a nod. "And we have to stop them before it's too late."

Cynder sighed and bowed her head. "I don't know if I can go through with this."

"I don't know either," Spyro admitted. "But we have to. You said it yourself; if we don't, then everything we've fought for… everything we've lost… it'll all be for nothing."

"Alright, then… I'll go," Cynder nodded. "But, only because I want to get rid of this chain."

"Come on, guys," Astral said. "The air is too thick down here with all this ash. There's probably an updraft near the volcano."

"Then let's get going," Troy declared.

They set off along the cliffs towards the volcano. Soon, they reached a bridge and crossed to the other side and made their way through the smouldering fields. As they reached the other side, Spyro sensed the call of another Enchanted Chest and led the others to a hidden cave, but as they were about to enter, another Troll burst out of the ground in front of them.

At once, Spyro blasted his Ice Shards at it, but it blocked them with its shield. Quickly, Cynder grabbed Troy and used her Shadow Strike to get them behind the Troll. As Astral used her Torrent to knock the Troll's mace away, Troy leapt onto the monster's back and thrust his sword into its head, killing it instantly.

With the Troll dead, the dragons were able to get their armour: a silver helmet for Spyro, an orange-and-green tailpiece for Astral and black bracers for Cynder. There was a note scratched in the bottom of the Chest which read: _Dear friends, if you're reading this, then you've found the last pieces of armour and your respective sets are complete. Now it is time to learn the powers of your armour. The silver armour of the Purple Dragon is infused with the power of Fire for added damage. The bracers on the black armour contains a very lethal venom, killing smaller enemies within seconds. The last set of armour adds extra power to its breath, especially to the Solaris Fury. Good luck in your quest. Trafalgar._

"Okay, then," Troy said once the dragons had put on their armour. "Let's keep moving."

They took off and followed the river of lava upstream towards a large lava fall. Astral launched her Seed Bombs at the cliff side to create ladders to reach the top and they made their way up to the top where they could see the volcano ahead of them. But as they ran forward, another trap was sprung and two Trolls burst out of the ground.

"I think Malefor and Dorado are trying to stall us!" Astral cried out.

"We'll see about that," Troy replied as he whipped out his sword.

He and Astral charged towards the one Troll. Astral charged forward in a Comet Dash and smashed into the Troll's face, sending it reeling back. Troy then focused his energy and called out, "_Convieas Terrosis!_" His sword began to shimmer and glow with crimson energy. He then thrust it into the Troll's leg and it recoiled from the fear entering its mind. Astral then used her Psychic Strike to blast the Troll into the lava below.

Meanwhile, Cynder narrowly missed the Orc's fist as it tried to flatten her. Spyro quickly dived in and smashed his head on the Troll's fist, making it recoil as its hand was seared. Cynder then struck out with her armoured claws, hitting the Troll's underbelly. The Troll stumbled back, weakened by the venom and Spyro finished it off with an Earth Missile.

With the enemy dead, the rock walls lowered and the way was clear once more.

"Look," Cynder gasped, pointing to the horizon. "The Destroyer's almost at the base of the volcano!"

"Then let's get going," Troy declared, climbing on Astral's back. "There's no time to lose!"

With that, the dragons took to the air and rode the thermal up towards the Floating Islands, where their greatest enemy awaited them…

* * *

><p>Up in one of the towers that made part of the Floating Isles, Dorado and Malefor watched through the Dark Crystal sphere as the group flew up towards them.<p>

"Our diversions have failed," Malefor growled. "They will soon reach our thrones and stop us."

"Do not fret, my friend," Dorado reassured him. "Their strength comes from their teamwork. If we can separate them, they might fall easily to our might." He then focused his mind for a moment then grinned. "Ah, yes… a part of my Dark Crystal still lingers in the boy; perhaps we could use it to our advantage."

"And what about Spyro?" Malefor demanded. "What's to be done with him?"

Dorado looked in the sphere, bringing up an image of Cynder. "Don't forget, they still have our Terror of the Skies with them. I wonder if she truly has forgotten her role in our ultimate plan?"

Malefor let a smile cross his face. "Yes, I understand."

"Get to the Temple; wait for the little ones," Dorado ordered. "The honour of stopping the Dragon Rider will be mine."

Malefor nodded and flew towards the building. Dorado then looked out the window to see the Destroyer making its slow progress towards the volcano. "The time is drawing nearer… and my vengeance will be complete!"

* * *

><p><strong>And on that note, I end this chapter. Just to let you know, in three days' time, it'll be my birthday, so my last few chapters might take a while to get there.<strong>

**So, see you when I see you… not that I do see you, but anyway.**


	13. The Islands in the Sky

**Here we are again as our heroes face one last obstacle before they face Malefor and Dorado.**

_**Disclaimer:**_** This story has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving humans riding dragons. Also, I only own my OC's and nothing else.**

**So here we go!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 12: The Islands in the Sky<p>

Higher and higher Troy and his friends flew in the thermal and soon they reached the Floating Islands, broken fragments of the Temple that now hovered in the skies.

As they flew, Cynder looked down at the Realms below. "It's beautiful up here."

Troy looked too and gasped in amazement. From the top, he could see the entire landscape; the mountains in the north, the Valley of Avalar to the east, the city of Warfang to the south and the flooded canyon to the west. He could also see the Destroyer getting closer to the volcano.

Soon they landed by a large fragment with a large tower, sealed off by a big door. "The tower… it must lead to Malefor and Dorado's lair," Spyro assumed.

"Thanks for ruining the moment," Cynder muttered.

Above the door, there were eight busts of dragons with their mouths open. Then Spyro located two braziers and he and Astral lit them, causing two of the busts to light up.

"Eight busts, so eight braziers," Troy counted. "We have to get going if we're to stop Malefor and Dorado. Let's search the isles for the other braziers."

The group took off again and flew across the isles. As they searched, Troy looked around at the islands and recognized them as rooms of the Temple.

"I still can't believe the Temple is gone," Astral breathed. "I had great memories of this place."

"Me too," Spyro sighed.

"We can worry about friends and things we lost later," Troy told them. "We must focus on our task and find the braziers."

"There's two down there," Cynder called out, pointing to a broken wall.

They landed on the wall next to a strange-looking statue. Suddenly, the statue fired some clamps out of its mouth. Troy and Astral jumped aside as one landed between the younger dragons and clipped onto the chain round their necks.

Spyro tried to run aside but the clamp held him back and Cynder was struggling too. "Get us out of here!"

Astral knocked the statue away with her Psychic Blast and Troy smashed his foot on the clamp, freeing the others. With that gone, Spyro and Astral lit the two braziers and Troy looked towards the tower and saw the next two busts light up.

The next two braziers were on two different levels of a large tower. Spyro and Cynder took the one on the top of the tower while Troy and Astral went for the one at the tower's base. Both sides had to take out some flying Grublins and Wyverns but soon they had the braziers lit.

For the last two, the group had to split up to find them. Soon, Troy and Astral found their brazier, but it was covered in Dark Crystals. As they approached, a stab of pain shot through Troy's shoulder and he stumbled back with a groan.

"What's wrong?" Astral asked.

"It's nothing," Troy lied, getting to his feet. "I'll be fine." He Channeled his Seismic Sword and smashed the crystals away, allowing Astral to lit the brazier.

Troy looked back to the tower and saw the seventh bust light up. Seconds later, the last bust also lit up and the door below opened.

"That's it," Troy muttered, climbing onto Astral's back. "Let's head back."

They rejoined Spyro and Cynder and made their way back to the tower. Cautiously, they entered, passing through a ruined passage before entering what was once the Temple's Grotto. Above them, a great tornado swirled around the room.

"We must be in the eye of the storm," Spyro reasoned.

"To think that I was born in this place," Astral sighed.

Troy nodded then he looked up and gasped. "Look out!"

He pushed Spyro and Cynder aside and leapt back towards Astral… seconds before a large boulder crashed down on the place they'd been standing on!

Astral looked up and spotted a Troll standing on a platform above them. Then several Grublins, Orc Archers and Orc Axmen emerged from the ground and surrounded them.

"More reinforcements?" Troy scowled as he took out his sword. "This is SO not cool!"

"Looks like Malefor and Dorado are still trying to slow us down," Cynder guessed.

"Well, they're not going to succeed," Astral growled. "Let's go, everyone!" And they charged into the fray.

Cynder was immediately surrounded by Grublins but she quickly lashed out at them, knocking some back. Then she took out others with her Shadow Fire and watched as the first ones stood up to attack before crying out and dropping dead.

Spyro went straight for the Archers who fired out several dark bolts at him which he quickly dodged. He fired an Electric Bolt to slow them down and then charged his Earth Boulder before shooting out and ramming through the Archers, taking them out.

The Axmen rounded on Troy, who simply closed his eyes and focused his energy. "_Conveias Umbras_!" His blade flashed out and shadows swirled around it. One Axman charged towards him, raising his ax, but before it could hit, Troy suddenly vanished into blackness. The Axemn looked around in confusion and then Troy reappeared behind them and swung his sword round, taking them out.

As the enemies were killed, the Troll let out an angry roar and leapt down from the platform, landing on the floor so hard that it started to crack.

"Careful guys," Astral called out. "This place could break any moment!"

At once, the group charged at the Troll. With a roar, it swung its arms out and knocked Spyro and Cynder back. Troy then went on the offensive. Channeling his Fiery Sword and thrusting it into the Orc's leg, making it cry out in pain. It then kicked out and knocked Troy back to the edge of the Grotto, where he just grabbed onto the sides.

"Troy, hold on!" Astral called out.

But as she charged forward, the Troll grabbed her tail and pulled her back. With a growl, she turned her head round and fired her Water Stream in its face, knocking it back.

Troy meanwhile was struggling to pull himself up, but the wind was sucking him down. Then he lost his grip and fell towards the swirling vortex below but then Astral swooped down, grabbed him and flew back to the Grotto where the Troll was waiting. It grabbed the boulder and flung it at them but Astral dodged aside and then launched into a midair Comet Dash, smashing the Orc right into the floor.

Spyro and Cynder looked up from the sidelines, but before they could do anything, the ground shuddered and broke apart, separating the young dragons from Troy and Astral.

"Oh no," Spyro gasped.

"Hurry guys," Cynder called out. "Get to our side!"

"We can't," Astral yelled over the roar of the tornado. "The winds are too strong here!"

"Spyro, Cynder, go on without us!" Troy called out.

"No way!" Spyro yelled back. "We can't leave you out here!"

"Listen to me," the young Rider shouted. "You need to stop Malefor and restore the balance to the world. I have to defeat Dorado and stop the Destroyer before it's too late. This is what our destiny wants and we can't deviate from that path. It's what Ignitus would want us to do."

Spyro was silent for a moment then he nodded solemnly. "Okay… I won't argue with you." He then turned to Cynder. "Come on, let's go."

The two dragons turned to leave but then Astral called to them, "Spyro, in case we never see each other again, I… I'm glad to have had these moments together." Spyro nodded. "And Cynder, you are a true friend whatever anyone says about you." Cynder let out a smile.

Then Troy spoke again. "Cynder, you've had a tough past, but keep looking to the future and follow your heart. And Spyro… it's been an honour to fight at your side."

Spyro nodded. "It's been an honour for me too. And Astral… be careful."

"I will," Astral replied.

With a nod, Spyro and Cynder made their way up to the platform and took off through an air current towards Malefor's lair.

Astral watched them leave then turned to Troy. "So what now?"

Suddenly, the rock they were standing on gave a shudder and started floating away from the Grotto. "What's happening?" Astral gasped.

Troy looked over the edge and saw a glowing light hovering around the bottom then he followed the light towards a tall tower just outside the twister. "I think Dorado's drawing us to his lair." He scowled at the structure as his hand gripped on the hilt of his sword. "Ready or not, Dorado, here we come!"

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, I know it's not the best closing line, but I honestly couldn't think of anything else.<strong>

**Anyway, I think you know what's coming next. So stay tuned to the final climatic battle. (It won't be the last chapter; I have a couple more in line before it really ends)**


	14. The Terrifying Truth

**Now I should tell you now that I've decided to split the final battle into two parts. The first part is what I call the exposition part then I'll do the actual battles in the next chapter.**

_**Disclaimer:**_** This story has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving humans riding dragons. Also, I only own my OC's and nothing else.**

**So let's get cracking.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 13: The Terrifying Truth<p>

After a long flight, Spyro and Cynder landed on a platform by the Temple and stood outside the main doors. Cynder looked back towards the Floating Isles in concern. "I hope Troy and Astral are okay."

"They will be," Spyro reassured. "They have each other."

They stepped towards the doors and stood still for a moment then Spyro turned to his friend. "Are you ready for this?"

"I'm scared," Cynder replied nervously.

Spyro placed a paw on her shoulder and smiled grimly. "Just stay close to me."

They pushed the doors open and stepped into a dark chamber lit only by torches. Spyro noticed a broken statue lying nearby and realized they were in what was once the Dojo. Behind them, the doors slammed shut and as they did, the torches burned brighter.

"At long last," a sinisterly warped voice called out almost from everywhere. "My guests have arrived. Please… come in."

The small dragons turned round as a large dragon stepped out from the shadows. His three horns and wings were an ugly yellow, his eyes were glowing yellow and his purple scales were tinted with black. Spyro recognized the figure immediately. He was the dragon from the old book in the Chronicler's library, the dragon whose statue all but dominated the cavern in the peak of the Well of Souls and whose voice had laughed menacingly from the dark aura as the Destroyer was summoned; it was the Dark Master himself, Malefor!

"Such determination to get here," Malefor growled at Spyo. "It seems we share other qualities besides that of our colour."

"No, I'm nothing like you!" Spyro yelled.

"Do you think so?" Malefor scowled. "Hmm, we'll get to that."

"Don't listen to him, Spyro," Cynder hissed. "Don't listen to anything he says."

Malefor turned to her and a smile crossed his face. "You look so weary. Allow me to make you more comfortable…" He raised a paw and his eyes flashed brighter and suddenly the collars and chain round Spyro and Cynder's necks appeared and then broke apart.

"There, that's better, isn't it?" Malefor chuckled, more to Cynder than to Spyro. "It's the least I could do for you, Cynder. After all, you've done so much for me and my master."

"Your master?" Spyro asked.

"Yes," the Dark Master sneered. "The human, Dorado, was a worthy opponent when we battled, but he helped me unlock my true potential and revealed my true calling."

As he circled them, Spyro suddenly noticed a large wound on Malefor's shoulder which sparked with dark energy. "How did Dorado do this?"

"I'm not sure," Malefor replied. "But nonetheless, my powers became far greater than I could ever imagine. Even when we were imprisoned in Convexity, I was able to reach out to my Ape armies and give their orders. And I was able to share my powers with Cynder to help us escape…"

"You used her!" Spyro cut in angrily.

"I used her, she used you, what does it matter, really?" Malefor said with a shrug.

Spyro turned to Cynder, puzzled. "What does he mean?"

Cynder just turned away and looked to the floor.

"What? He doesn't know?" Malefor sniggered nastily. "Go on, tell him! You mustn't leave him in the dark…"

"Tell me what?" Spyro shouted.

"How she lured you and your friends to the Well of Souls," Malefor replied, "how she tricked you and Troy into freeing me and my master."

"You're lying!" Cynder yelled.

"Hmmm, I find it peculiar, how you've chosen to remember things," Malefor growled. "Let me assure you, it was you and Troy who freed us, Spyro, and you two who brought me back. And we have Cynder to thank for that." He let out an evil laugh.

Spyro turned to his friend in concern. "Cynder… is it true?"

"No," Cynder retorted, tears in her eyes. "I don't know… I don't know anymore."

"Oh, I think you do," Malefor sneered. "But perhaps you need a little nudge…"

His eyes glowed brighter again and suddenly Cynder let out a cry of pain as her body was taken over by the darkness.

"CYNDER!" Spyro cried out in alarm.

Malefor burst out laughing again as Cynder's body became darker than ever and her eyes faded to white. Then she looked round and let out a sinister shriek, one that a horrified Spyro found all too familiar. "Cynder, no!"

* * *

><p>Unaware of what was happening to their friends, Troy and Astral waited until their rock reached the door to the tower and jumped off.<p>

Astral looked up to the top of the tower. "It looks like it's tall enough to view Malefor's domain."

Troy nodded grimly as he turned towards the door. "So this is where it ends… Ignitus said Dorado was the real reason for all this and we have to stop him." He grasped the hilt of his sword and turned to Astral. "Are you with me?"

"Let's do it," Astral agreed.

They pushed the door open and entered a darkened room. As soon as they were inside, the door slammed shut and suddenly the room was lit up. They could see they were in some cross between a library and a wizard's lair. Spell books and scrolls lay on old benches and jars of potions bubbled on a large desk next to a sphere of Dark Crystal.

"I don't remember this back at the Temple," Astral muttered.

"Dorado must have moved in after he and Malefor took over," Troy assumed. "But why isn't this place part of the Floating Isles?"

"It's the perfect viewpoint for the final stage of my master plan," a sinister and familiar voice called out from above.

Troy and Astral looked up and saw an ominous figure standing on a balcony. His face was distorted by the Dark Magic and his black hair and beard had traces of grey, but his purple robes and Dark Crystal-ended staff gave away his identity. He gave a malevolent chuckle. "So, the prophesied Dragon Rider… We meet at last."

Troy's eyes narrowed at the figure. "The feeling's mutual… Dark Lord."

"Ah, my infamy precedes me," Dorado sneered, descending the stairs and stepping into the room. "No doubt the foolish ancestor of yours told you about me; him and that old buffoon the Chronicler."

"How do you know about them?" Astral asked.

"My dear, I know everything about this world," Dorado replied. "The Dragon Temple, the Concurrent Skies, the Valley of Avalar, even the hidden White Isle… the dragons taught us all their secrets when we first entered Warfang. But soon it will all be destroyed once the Ring of Annihilation sweeps across the world and I shall be its new ruler, thanks to my Dark Crystals!"

Troy looked puzzled. "But where does Malefor fit into this new world?"

"He will help me create it," Dorado replied. "When the Destroyer enters the volcano, it will erupt and the Ring will spread across the land. In its main state, it will be unstable but Malefor will then go right into the volcano down to the World Core, and there he will sacrifice his greatest power to help form the new world. There is a chance that he will be killed, but his part will be done."

Astral gasped in horror. "There's no way Malefor would willingly do that!"

"Malefor will do whatever I say," Dorado argued. "His corrupted mind is being controlled by the Dark Crystals too."

"What?!" Troy and Astral gasped.

"I'm sure that you've been told of the battle between me and Malefor," Dorado sniggered. "Didn't they tell you why Malefor chose not to kill me? It was because by then, he never had a choice."

"That tapestry in the ruins," Troy recalled. "It showed you stabbing Malefor with something but the last part had been burnt away…"

"It was burnt because the Elders didn't want to accept the fate of their 'great warrior'," Dorado explained. "I had stabbed a shard of Dark Crystal into the so-called Dark Master then just as he was about to kill me, the mind-controlling powers took over and I forced him to make me his second-in-command…"

"When all the time, you were really in charge," Astral realized.

"So that's what you used to control the Destroyer!" Troy scowled.

"And with my Dark Crystals, I was able to bring the whole human race to its last few weaklings. My plan then would be to infuse the World Core with my Crystals and turn any surviving being into my loyal servants." Dorado's face twisted into a sneer. "And I would have succeeded if Trafalgar hadn't faced me in combat, trapping my spirit into my own crystals and sealing me in that wretched portal on Convexity."

"A fate well deserved for someone like you," Troy growled.

"It didn't matter anyway," Dorado retorted. "My powers were so great that I could still control Malefor even in my prison. Even after he was imprisoned with me, he and I could still speak to our armies. But now that we are free again, our ultimate rebirth will continue as planned."

"Not while we're here, Dorado!" Astral snapped.

"Ah, but where are my manners?" Dorado sniggered. "I've forgotten about my guests. So I will offer you a choice, young Rider: would you care to join me in ruling this world together?"

"No way!" Troy cried. "You're a horrible monster! I'd never serve anyone like you!"

"Then perhaps you'll need a stronger method of persuasion," Dorado said mysteriously. "Tell me, Troy, do you still have that shard from when you tried to stop the Destroyer?"

Troy stepped back in worry as Astral stared at him. "What's he talking about?"

"He didn't tell you?" Dorado tutted. "Well then, let me show you…" With a smile, he raised his staff and the Crystal on the end began to glow.

At once, Troy let out a scream of pain as he felt a burning sensation in his mind. He fell to his knees and clutched his head in his hands as he lost control of his senses.

"TROY!" Astral cried out in horror.

She wanted to run forward, but her body refused to budge and she could only watch helplessly as dark energy sparked from the wound on Troy's shoulder. Then suddenly Troy's screams stopped.

Dorado gave a sinister smirk. "Arise, my boy."

Slowly, Troy lowered his hands and got to his feet. Then he raised his head, showing a terrible sneer and glowing white eyes.

Astral stepped back in fright. "Troy… oh no…"

"Behold the true power of the Dark Crystals!" Dorado cried out. "Now, young Rider, this dragon has no purpose to our new world. So I order you now to… DESTROY HER!"

"Yes, master," Troy replied in a warped voice. Slowly, he drew out his sword and stepped forward. "Prepare for your end, dragon!"

"Troy, don't do this," Astral yelled, backing away in fear. "This isn't you at all!"

"He can't hear you," Dorado laughed. "My powers are too great. He will destroy you and then help me rule this world! Do it, Troy!"

With a nod, Troy swung his sword out but Astral ducked aside and he just hit one of the benches, sending scrolls scattering in the air like startled doves.

"Come on, you worthless beast, fight me!" Troy challenged.

Astral kept ducking and dodging as she was chased across the room. _This is hopeless,_ she said to herself. _I can't keep this up…_

* * *

><p>Up in the Dojo, Spyro stepped back in fear as the corrupted Cynder stalked menacingly towards him. Then she lowered her head and charged right into him, knocking into the remains of the statue.<p>

Malefor just watched with great amusement. "Ignitus should have warned you," he called out mockingly to Spyro. "You are alone here, young dragon, you have _always_ been alone. Still, here you are, trying so desperately to save this miserable world… refusing to accept the true role of the purple dragon."

"My true role?" Spyro panted as he struggled to his feet.

"Yes," Malefor sneered. "I'm sure you've been told that I was the first of our kind, but I assure you there have been many. It has been the duty of our predecessors to resurrect the Destroyer and the Golems of the Deep, to bring about the Great Cleansing."

"Who told you all this?" Spyro yelled before another charge from Cynder sent him skidding across the floor.

"Why, Dorado, of course," Malefor replied. "He told me that this was the true nature of our kind. Don't you see, Spyro? Your destiny is to destroy this world!"

"No, I don't believe that!" Spyro yelled, pounding his fist onto the floor.

"Of course you don't," Malefor sniggered. "But you have fulfilled your destiny nonetheless. In my time, I was stopped, prevented from completing my quest. But you… you have carried the flame, be it through your will or not. And soon, the world will be destroyed, you along with it…"

"No," Spyro breathed in despair.

He tried to get up, but Cynder swiped her tail into his face and knocked him down again.

"Fight back!" she commanded.

As Malefor burst out laughing, Cynder swung her tail blade down again and again, but Spyro blocked the blows with his wings, tears flowing down his face.

"Fight back!" Cynder yelled again, bashing his wings once more. "Why won't you fight back?"

Spyro lowered her wings and bowed his head sadly. "Because you left me nothing to fight for…"

Cynder stepped back in surprise and suddenly the darkness that surrounded her faded and returned to her normal state. She stepped forward and helped Spyro to his feet. "There's always something."

Spyro smiled at her and rubbed his face on Cynder's cheek.

"ARGH!" Malefor roared in anger. "So be it! You've made your choice and so you shall suffer the same fate!"

As he spoke, the chain reappeared around the young dragons' necks but they were too focused on the Dark Master to notice.

"PREPARE TO DIE!" Malefor yelled, taking to the skies.

Spyro and Cynder took off into the high clouds after him, ready to take down the Dark Master…

* * *

><p>In the tower, Astral was running out of time. Troy kept coming at her, sword raised but she dodged all the blows and yet she couldn't find it in her heart to fight back. She needed to save Troy so they could stop Dorado, but how?<p>

"You can't run forever," Dorado taunted. "My crystals ensures that Troy will never tire out."

"Just like you revived the Destroyer?" Astral panted, ducking aside as Troy lashed out at her. "We honestly thought that we'd defeated him."

"My crystals have the greatest power of all," the Dark Lord replied. "Even with the smallest fragment, I can still control them. It's very easy on something like the Destroyer."

"What do you mean?" Astral asked.

"It's made of rock and magma, it's hardly got any mind at all," Dorado explained.

At this, an idea came to Astral. "So, how did you manage to control Malefor?"

"It was a bit trickier," Dorado admitted. "To control the minds of living beings like Malefor, and Troy here, they'd have to be caught completely unawares."

"So they still can think for themselves?" Astral asked, ducking another swing from Troy.

"Up to a point," Dorado replied. "Even when I was imprisoned, Malefor's mind was already corrupted by power so it didn't matter that I wasn't controlling him. He still believed everything I said."

Astral looked round at Troy and spotted the wound in his shoulder. "I wonder…"

But her distraction was her downfall. Troy charged right into her side and knocked her into the table, spilling potions and knocking the sphere aside.

Troy stepped forward with a smile and raised his sword. "I've got you now, dragon!"

Acting quickly, Astral quickly focused her energy, and suddenly the world around her and Troy slowed down. Then she focused her thoughts and called out in her mind. "_Troy, can you hear me?_"

For a few tense moments, there wasn't a response but then at last, Astral heard Troy's normal voice calling back weakly. "_Astral… is that you?_"

"_You can hear me!_" Astral thought in relief. "_Listen to me, you're being controlled. You've got to fight back!_"

"_I can't_," Troy replied, lowering his sword. "_He's too strong… It's too much for me…_"

"_Don't give up on me! You're better than that!_"

"_But the darkness… it's everywhere… I can only feel darkness…_"

Astral got to her feet, staring at her friend. "_Troy… please let me help you. My powers of Solaris were able to break the chain round my neck. Now I can help you._"

"_But Ignitus said that using the Solaris Fury was dangerous._"

"_But I didn't use it on the chain; it just felt the powers in my body and failed._" She stared right into her Rider's eyes. "_Troy, do you trust me?_"

There was silence for a moment but then at last… "_You know I do._"

With a slow nod, Astral pulled them out of Dragon Time and Troy stumbled back.

"What are you waiting for?" Dorado called down. "Destroy that dragon!"

Troy raised his sword again but as he did, Astral thrust her paws onto his shoulders and focused her energy. At once, her scales began to glow, the armour shining like polished glass, and the wound started sparking as if it was aware of what was about to happen.

"What are you doing?" Dorado yelled. "Stop that! Troy, destroy her!"

But Troy just stood still as Astral sunk her claws into the open wound and grabbed the crystal inside. With great care, she prized it out before tossing it to the floor and firing her Solaris Breath at it.

"NOOOO!" Dorado screamed as the Dark Crystal was vapourized into dust.

At once, Astral heard the sword clatter to the ground and felt Troy stagger back and she grabbed him before he could fall. As she did, Troy looked up at her and she could see the warmth in his eyes once more.

"Astral… thank you," he gasped, throwing his arms around her neck.

"What are friends for?" she replied.

"ARRRGH!" Dorado yelled out. "Very well, Rider, since you are not with me, you can perish with your precious dragon friends! By now, the Destroyer will have reached the volcano and my last stage will begin. So long, fools!" And he ran back up the stairs and past the balcony.

Troy got to his feet and cast his Curing spell on his shoulder. This time, the wound sealed up completely, leaving a very faint scar. He then looked up towards the stairs. "We've got to stop him!"

"But you're still weak," Astral pointed out. "Can you handle this?"

"I have to, for the sake of the world," Troy replied, picking up Draconis.

Astral nodded. "You're right. It's time to end this, once and for all!"

And with that, Troy and Astral set off up the stairs in pursuit of the Dark Lord…

* * *

><p><strong>Phew, that was tricky but I hope it was worth it if it explains a lot of things.<strong>

**So see you for the final battle.**


	15. Two Degrees of Confrontation

**And now it's the moment I know you've been waiting for… the final battles!**

_**Disclaimer:**_** This story has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving humans riding dragons. Also, I only own my OC's and nothing else.**

**So let battle commence!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 14: Two Degrees of Confrontation<p>

High in the sky above the Floating Isles, Spyro and Cynder pursued Malefor through the clouds. Every now and then, Malefor fired one of his elemental attacks out, but the smaller dragons dodged aside. Just then, Spyro heard a voice calling in his head. "_Spyro, can you hear me?_"

Spyro frowned as he recognized the voice. "_Astral? I didn't know you could use Telepathic Communications on me._"

"_Neither did I,_" Astral admitted. "_Listen to me, Malefor isn't what he claims to be. He's being controlled by Dorado's Dark Crystals._"

"_What?_" Spyro asked.

"_It's true,_" Troy's voice chipped in. "_He tried to control me and make me kill Astral, but she saved me._"

"_We're going after Dorado now,_" Astral said. "_You just try to stop Malefor._"_  
><em>

"_Okay, good luck._" Spyro ended the call.

Ahead of them, Malefor turned in midair and hovered before them.

"You with me?" Spyro yelled.

"I'm with you," Cynder replied.

They flew forward, Spyro shooting Earth Missiles and Cynder using Shadow Fire. The shards pounded into Malefor, knocking him back then Cynder swooped past him, singeing him with her fire. With a roar of anger, Malefor swung his tail out and knocked Cynder back. But then Spyro dived into the fray and blasted the Dark Master with Lightning Bolt.

Quickly, Malefor launched into a Comet Dash and swooped away, but Spyro and Cynder set off after him. Cynder flew overhead, hitting Malefor with Siren Scream before Spyro launched into a Comet Dash too and slammed into Malefor's side, sending the Dark Master reeling back.

"Now is our chance!" Spyro called out to Cynder.

With another roar, Malefor pounced at them, but they dodged out of the way and he swooped through the clouds before striking again. Once more, Spyro and Cynder dodged but this time they also charged right into his chest, knocking him back.

As Malefor recovered, he glanced down to the volcano and let out a laugh. "It has begun!"

Spyro and Cynder looked down too and gasped. The Destroyer had reached the base of the volcano and was climbing up to the peak.

"Oh no, we're too late!" Spyro cried out in panic.

Malefor laughed victoriously as the Destroyer reached the summit and crawled into the volcano. "Welcome to the end of the world!"

At that moment, the volcano erupted in a mighty flare that could probably have been seen from space. The column of lava spewed up to the Dojo, destroying the walls and shooting it up towards the dragons. With a roar of laughter, Malefor swooped down to his lair and Spyro and Cynder took off in pursuit…

* * *

><p>At the tower, Troy and Astral raced up the stairs after Dorado, relaying the message to Spyro as they ran. At last, they came out at the top of the tower and found the Dark Lord staring out at the Isles.<p>

"Dorado, this ends now!" Troy called out.

"No, my dear boy," Dorado chuckled. "This is just the beginning… the beginning of a new world!"

He pointed out to the volcano and Troy and Astral gasped as they saw the tail of the Destroyer disappear into the mouth and then a column of lava shot out into the air. Suddenly, they felt a tremor beneath their feet. Astral looked down to the earth below and gasped again. "Troy, look!"

Troy looked down and stared in horror. Great trails of fire blazed across the landscape, threatening to tear the world apart.

"The Ring of Annihilation has begun!" Dorado cried out victoriously. "Soon, Malefor will perform his final act and the world will be destroyed then reformed into a new realm which I will rule over!"

"Not if I can help it!" Troy held his sword out and charged at Dorado. As the Dark Lord turned round, the Rider plunged his sword straight into his heart.

But instead of crying out in pain, Dorado just burst out laughing and shoved Troy right back. "Foolish Rider, my powers aren't just for mind control. With the Dark Magic, I have made myself invincible!"

As Troy watched, Dorado pulled the sword out of his chest, the wound magically fading away. "No…"

"Yes, Troy, you cannot stop me!" Dorado laughed, tossing Draconis back. "Now, you and your pet will be the first to fall at my hands."

Troy got to his feet and picked up his sword. "We'll see about that. Astral, are you with me?"

"You know I am," Astral called out as she crouched into battle pose.

Dorado sniggered as he raised his staff up and waved his hand in a 'bring-it-on' gesture. "Let's see what you got…"

Troy charged forward and swung his sword out but Dorado blocked it with his staff before punching the Rider back. At once, Astral launched her Fire Breath out but Dorado summoned an energy shield and held the fire back. But while the Dark Lord was distracted, Troy ran up and smashed into him with his shield, knocking him back.

With a shout of rage, Dorado lashed out with his staff and tripped the Rider up, sending him stumbling back to the edge of the tower. Then the Dark Lord pointed his staff out and a dark stream of fire shot out, narrowly missing Troy as he dodged aside. Behind him, Astral lowered her head and charged into the back of Dorado, interrupting the spell.

Dorado then waved his hand out and several black figures the size of Grublins appeared, surrounding Troy and Astral. The Rider leapt into the fray, swinging Draconis out but the blade swished through the figures like they weren't there. Astral lashed out with her claws, but none of the figures showed signs of being hit. Then the figures pounced on Astral and brought her to her knees while Troy was dragged down by the others.

"I warned you it was futile," Dorado sniggered. "None can defeat the powers of the Darkness!"

As Troy struggled to pull away, an idea struck him. "Of course… Astral, it's time these guys saw the light!"

"I get you," Astral called out. She focused her energy and her scales began to glow once more. At once, the figures let out a screech and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"What the…?" Dorado gasped.

"Now it's my turn!" Troy focused his energy then yelled out, "_Draconis Divinus!_"

At his command, the sword glowed with purple energy and Troy swung it round, taking out the figures.

"What? The Blade of Divine Might?" Dorado cried out.

"That's right," Troy shouted, getting to his feet. "This power was given to me by the Great Rider Trafalgar, my ancestor! I may have been born a simple peasant, but in my heart the spirit of the Riders lives on. And now I face my ultimate destiny… to destroy you!"

With a sneer, Dorado fired a dark blast from his staff. Quickly, Astral fired a beam of Solaris energy, catching the blast and cancelling it out. Troy then charged forward and slammed his shield right into Dorado, knocking him over the ramparts and off the tower.

Troy turned and ran over to Astral, who was still glowing. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine," Astral replied, getting to her feet but then she heard a loud flapping noise. "What's that?"

Troy spun round as a large black shadow twice the size of a Dreadwing flapped past the ramparts… with Dorado standing on its head! "No, no, you have _got_ to be kidding me!"

"Once more, you underestimate the power of the Darkness," Dorado jeered. "Now you will perish where you stand!"

With a loud screech, the Dreadwing shadow flew away from the tower.

"Come on, Astral," Troy yelled, leaping onto his friend's saddle. "We have to get after him!"

Astral then spread her wings and took off from the tower in pursuit…

* * *

><p>At the lair, Spyro and Cynder landed just after Malefor did. With a roar, the Dark Master fired a blast of ice at them, but Spyro launched his Fire Breath and melted the ice before it hit. Then Cynder disappeared in her Shadow Strike and shot towards Malefor, striking out with her claws before reappearing behind him and launching into a Scorpion Strike.<p>

Quickly Malefor ducked away with another Comet Dash but Spyro was fast to react and he spun round in a Blizzard while Cynder went into a Tornado and they bashed into Malefor from both sides.

In anger, Malefor swung out and sent them flying back but they quickly recovered and went on the attack again. Spyro flew up and then dived down into a Boulder and smashed Malefor into the floor. Then Cynder fired her Venom out, sending Malefor recoiling in pain.

At once, Malefor pounced forward and tried to grab Spyro but he leapt aside. Then the Dark Master turned on Cynder as she tried to attack.

"Watch out!" Spyro warned.

Instantly, Cynder flew aside then she and Spyro flew up, grabbed paws, focused their energy and slammed down on Malefor with a powerful blow.

Malefor pulled away. "You think you're winning? My powers are greater than before. You'll never defeat me!" He then summoned a powerful shield around himself.

Spyro launched his Fire Breath again but the flames were repelled back. Cynder then charged forward but simply bounced back.

Malefor burst out laughing as the remains of the Dojo fell down into the volcano…

* * *

><p>In the skies above, Troy and Astral flew hard and fast to keep up with Dorado and his shadowy steed.<p>

"What are we gonna do once we catch him?" Astral called out. "His powers are still too strong."

"That crystal on the end of his staff might be the source of his strength," Troy replied. "If we take out the staff, we might stand a better chance…"

"It sounds dangerous, but it's worth a try," Astral agreed. "Look, there they are!"

Troy looked up and spotted the Dreadwing creature up ahead. "Get closer!"

Astral flapped her wings as hard as she could and soon she was just behind the creature.

"Okay," Troy shouted, standing up in the saddle. "I'm going in!"

"Alright," Astral nodded.

As she got closer, Troy tensed himself then he leapt off Astral's back and landed on the creature's back.

Dorado spun round and glared angrily. "You…"

Troy stood up and smiled. "You can't get rid of us that easily."

"We'll just see about that!" Dorado pointed his staff out and shot some crystal shards out, but Troy raised his shield and blocked the attack. Then the Rider thrust his glowing sword down into the creature's back, making it screech in pain and throwing Dorado off its head and onto its back.

With a yell of anger, Dorado ran forward and swung his staff out. Troy blocked the attack with his shield but Dorado then kicked his legs out from under him, sending the Rider down on his back. The Dark Lord stood over Troy and placed his foot on his chest as he raised his staff up. "Now, you will suffer like you have never imagined! You're finished, Dragon Rider!"

"On the contrary, it's you who's finished!" With that, Troy swung his sword out and cut right through the staff, sending its crystal-end flipping away.

"What?!" Dorado cried, staring at his damaged staff.

"Now, Astral!" Troy yelled.

Below them, Astral swooped in and swatted the crystal up into the air. Then she opened her jaws and fired a Solaris Fury at it.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Dorado screamed as the crystal sparked angrily before it shattered into pieces.

Suddenly, Dorado reeled back in pain, clutching his chest. Troy got to his feet and stared in amazement as a large wound appeared on the Dark Lord's chest. "What's happening?"

"Without the powers of the staff making him invincible, the wounds you gave him are coming back," Astral called out.

Troy then saw that the creature was starting to fade. "Something tells me his ride's going to be cut short," he gasped. "Time to get out of here!"

Astral flew down and Troy made to jump onto her saddle, but then Dorado pounced on him and the two humans tumbled off as the creature faded away.

"TROY!" Astral gasped.

As they fell, Troy grappled and struggled with Dorado. The Dark Lord delivered a powerful punch at Troy who retaliated with a kick in the stomach.

"You've ruined everything!" Dorado yelled in his ear. "But as long as I'm alive, Malefor will still obey my instructions!"

"Not while I draw breath!" Troy pushed the Dark Lord away then he pointed his sword out and focused his power. "DIVINE BLAST!"

At once, a burst of purple energy shot out from the tip of the sword and blasted over the Dark Lord. He had enough time to let out a final scream before his body was completely vapourized.

High above, Astral closed her eyes as a bright light flashed out. When the light faded, she looked down and saw no sign of the Dark Lord, but she did see Troy plummeting towards the earth. "Oh no! Troy!"

Quickly, Astral folded her wings back and dived straight as an arrow towards him. She grabbed Troy in her claws and caught the sword in her jaws then she spread her wings and caught the breeze, slowing her fall.

She then turned to fly back to the canyon as huge cracks appeared on the world below and she glanced back at the volcano. _We've done our part, Spyro and Cynder. The rest is up to you…_

* * *

><p>Deep in the funnel of the volcano, Spyro and Cynder were starting to tire. All their elemental attacks hadn't penetrated the shield and even their strongest blows weren't enough.<p>

Malefor burst out laughing again but suddenly his laughs turned into roars of pain and then his shield began to flicker and fade.

"Spyro, look!" Cynder cried out.

Spyro looked up and saw that the wound in Malefor's shoulder was starting to spark violently. Then a shard of crystal tore its way out of the flesh and vapourized to powder.

As the shield disappeared, Malefor stared at the dust in alarm. "What is the meaning of this?"

"That's what Dorado did to you," Spyro called out. "You were being controlled by him. Everything he told you was a lie."

Malefor was silent for a moment but then he glowered and looked up at them. "No! This _is_ my true calling! That human has no power over me!"

"It's no good, Spyro," Cynder sighed. "He's too corrupted to listen to reason."

Spyro bowed his head sadly. "Then we have no choice… we have to stop him!"

"Then I have no choice, but to destroy you!" Malefor roared, pouncing forward.

But Cynder focused her energy and fired a Convexity Breath out, holding the Dark Master back. Then Spyro ran forward and charged right at Malefor in a move so powerful it destroyed the rest of the Dojo.

As the light faded, Spyro and Cynder found themselves gliding down the volcano but then Malefor pounced on them from behind and slammed them into the rock, threatening to crush them. But the smaller dragons pushed back until they broke free and then charged into Malefor with a yell of anger.

Eventually, the tunnel emerged at the World Core, a huge purple crystal glowing with great energy, and Malefor pulled out of the attack.

"You cannot defeat me!" he roared. "I am eternal!"

He then fired a Convexity Breath at them but Spyro and Cynder fired Convexity Breaths at the same time and the two attacks met in the middle with no sign of give.

"Just… hang… on!" Spyro called to Cynder.

They focused their energy into their breaths and at last their powers blasted through Malefor's attack and smashed into him, knocking him down onto the crystal.

Slowly Malefor got to his feet again but as he did, the crystal glowed and suddenly he was surrounded by glowing silhouettes of dragons led by a single human figure. "What is this?" he cried out in panic.

The human figure stepped forward. "These are the spirits of the Elders who sealed you in Convexity millennia ago."

Spyro recognized the voice at once. "Trafalgar!"

"Indeed, young dragon," the human replied. "You and your friends have performed admirably. We'll take it from here." Then he turned on the larger purple dragon. "Hear me, Malefor, your master Dorado has fallen and you will never perform the final ceremony. Now you will share his fate. The Elders will seal you in the World Core where you shall remain until beyond the end of time itself!"

He waved his hand out and the spirits pounced upon Malefor, covering him with a powerful magic.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Malefor screamed as he was dragged into the crystal.

Spyro and Cynder stared at each other as the chain reappeared and then broke apart, freeing them once more.

"My work is done, Spyro," Trafalgar called out. "Now it is up to you…" With that, he faded away.

Suddenly the earth trembled and cracks appeared along the crystal as the two dragons landed.

Cynder bowed her head sadly. "Spyro, I'm sorry… I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," Spyro soothed. "It's over."

Cynder then gasped as a piece broke off from the crystal then another. "So is this it?"

Spyro looked nervous unsure of what to do, but then he heard Ignitus's voice calling to him. "Spyro, when a dragon dies, he does not truly leave this world… His spirit lives on, binding itself with nature, offering hope for the future…"

Spyro gasped in realization and he stepped forward. "I know what I need to do. Just get out of here, Cynder."

"Spyro, no," Cynder called out. "You don't have to do anything. Let's just go."

"Where, Cynder?" Spyro asked. "There will be nothing left. The world is breaking apart… But I think I can stop it… I think I'm meant to."

Cynder looked about to argue but then she nodded. "Then I'm with you…"

Spyro smiled then he closed his eyes and focused his powers. He felt a great feeling inside him building up and then just before he lost consciousness, he heard Cynder speak to him, "I love you."

Then the power was unleashed, spreading out through the ground, through the whole world and out into the atmosphere. As the planet started to break open like an egg, the energy swept over it and suddenly it was as if time had started going backward as the pieces started slotting back into place…

* * *

><p>As she flew, Astral could see the world breaking apart but then she felt a great energy sweep over her. Looking round, she saw some floating pieces fly back to the place where they broke off.<p>

"He did it," she breathed. "Way to go, brother."

Then she spotted the canyon and swooped down to land by the entrance. Carefully, she set Troy down and put his sword to one side. "Troy, he did it. Spyro managed to save the world."

But Troy didn't make a single move.

"Troy?" Astral nudged the Rider with her paw, but he didn't even move. "Oh no…"

Just then, the Guardians, Hunter, Orion, Cosmo and Sparx came running out of the caves.

"Astral, you're back," Terrador called out. "What's going on out there?"

Cosmo looked around. "Where's Master Ignitus? And why isn't Spyro and Cynder with you?"

Orion then gasped. "Troy…"

Astral bowed her head sadly. "I'm sorry, everyone," she muttered. "Ignitus gave his life so that we could get through the Belt of Fire. As for Spyro and Cynder, I do not know."

Orion then knelt down next to Troy and pulled him close. "And my brother?"

"He lost consciousness after defeating Dorado," Astral replied. "I cannot wake him up…"

Orion let out a sob. "No… I've already lost my mother, I can't lose my brother," he whimpered. "Please, Troy, wake up. I don't want you to leave me."

Astral, Hunter and the Guardians bowed their heads and Sparx turned away.

Just then, they heard a deep voice speaking to them. "Fear not, my friends. Troy has not left you."

Everyone looked up and saw a glowing human stepping towards them.

"Trafalgar," Astral breathed.

"Indeed, young dragon," the human replied.

"By the Ancestors," Terrador breathed. "The Great Rider has come among us."

"It defies all belief," Volteer cried. "To see a spiritual figure in our midst."

"What do you mean, Troy's not dead?" Astral asked.

"His destiny has been fulfilled, but he still has a life before him," Trafalgar explained. "I'm entrusting his life to you all. Make sure he lives it well…" With that, he turned and disappeared.

At that very moment, they all heard a loud groan and Orion looked down to see that Troy was slowly opening his eyes and looking up at him. "Orion…? Are you… crying?"

"Troy!" Orion hugged his brother close. "You're alive!"

Astral then ran forward and grabbed both humans in a hug. "Troy, don't ever scare me like that again!"

"I don't know what's happened, but I promise," Troy chuckled.

The Guardians all laughed at this. Then Sparx pointed ahead. "Hey, look at that!"

Everyone looked round and gasped in amazement. The shattered pieces of the world were floating just in front of a setting sun, giving an eerie effect.

"Wow," Cosmo gasped. "What's happened here?"

"Spyro happened, that's what," Troy replied as he and Orion got to their feet. "Thanks to him, the world is still standing…"

"And thanks to us, Malefor and Dorado will no longer threaten us all," Astral finished.

Behind them, the other humans, dragons, cheetahs and moles came out from the tunnels to stare at this incredible sight. Then as the sky darkened, they looked up at the stars to see two new constellations formed overhead; one was in the shape of a dragon and the other showed a human on the back of another dragon, symbols for the heroes who saved the world…

* * *

><p><strong>And there we go. Evil has been vanquished and peace reigns once more.<strong>

**But there's still one more chapter to wrap things up, so I'll see you then.**


	16. Dawn of a New Age

**Well, we've come a long way since it started but now this is the final chapter in my trilogy.**

_**Disclaimer:**_** This story has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving humans riding dragons. Also, I only own my OC's and nothing else.**

**So let's wrap this up.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 15: Dawn of a New Age<p>

In the ancient library of the White Isle, the Chronicler stood by a large tome watching as pictures appeared on the last page. Then Trafalgar, the Great Rider, stepped into the room, a smile on his face. "Our guest has arrived, Chronicler."

The Chronicler looked up from his work and beamed at the new arrival. "Be welcome, friend. I have long been expecting you. A new age is beginning."

He glanced back at the book to see the last pictures; the world breaking apart and being restored, the city of Warfang being rebuilt and the remaining Guardians standing together with Sparx, Troy, Orion, Astral and Cosmo.

"With each new age, a worthy dragon is chosen to chronicle the many triumphs and failures of that age," the Chronicler continued. "This has been my duty for millennia. And now, Ignitus, I pass this honour to you."

At this, Ignitus stepped into the library and stared around in amazement. "This is a great honour for me," he breathed. "But isn't Trafalgar getting a replacement too?"

"Not yet," the Rider replied. "I have already chosen my replacement. I have given the honour over to Troy. When his time comes, he will come here and take my place."

Ignitus nodded then a look of concern crossed his face. "And… what of Spyro? Is he…"

"Hmmm, that is the question, isn't it?" The Chronicler waved his paw, sending the tome away and bringing out a smaller book. As it reached him, it opened up, showing a picture of a young Fear dragon with a name underneath: Banshee. Then it flipped through pictures of other dragons before settling on a picture of Ignitus.

"You see," the Chronicler continued, "each time a dragon dies, new page is written in this book. I've done my best, but I can't seem to find any trace of Spyro…"

"But we'll keep looking," Trafalgar promised as he patted his friend's side. "Farewell, old friend."

"See you on the other side," the Chronicler replied.

With that, the Chronicler spread his wings and began to glow brightly. As he faded, Ignitus started to glow too and when the light faded, he looked down at himself. His fiery red scales had become blue and he was now wearing the cloak.

"You have now become the Chronicler for this age," Trafalgar proclaimed.

Ignitus nodded eagerly. "Then I'd better get started then." He stepped up to look at the book. "Well, young dragon, where might you be?"

* * *

><p><em>Two days later…<em>

In the city of Warfang, Cosmo tossed and turned in his sleep, and this time it was surprising. After the stress following the war and near-destruction of the world, he'd hoped to get some sleep, but he just couldn't. Then he remembered why he was worried. There had been no sign of Spyro and Cynder since that day. As he finally slipped in to sleep, he wondered if they are alive… and then a vision came…

_The Valley of Avalar lit up by the rising sun… two small dragons, their colours obscured, stepping out from a cave… as they stepped outside, the sunlight caught on their scales; purple and black…_

Cosmo's eyes shot open and he leapt to his feet. "I don't believe it… I've got to tell them!"

Running outside, he took to the air, flew over the war-damaged city towards the Temple and landed by the doors. Then he charged into the building and ran down the passage to where Troy and Astral were sleeping.

As he screeched to a halt, he rapped his horns on the door. "Troy! Astral! Wake up, this is important!"

After a while, the door swung open and Astral poked her head out sleepily. "What's all the ruckus out here?"

"Sorry, but I've seen another vision," Cosmo panted. "It's unbelievable!"

"What's going on?" a tired voice yawned then Troy came out. "Cosmo, what are you doing here at this hour?"

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but I've had a vision…" Cosmo paused to catch his breath then he spoke. "I've seen Spyro and Cynder… They're still alive!"

"WHAT?!" Troy and Astral cried out.

"I know it sounds crazy," Cosmo replied. "But I have seen them. They're somewhere in the Valley of Avalar, and we need to get going right now!"

"Okay," Troy cried. "Go wake Orion and then meet us by the city wall."

Cosmo nodded and set off down the passage again.

As he ran, Volteer looked out and spotted the young dragon. "What is all the commotion, disturbance, ruckus, hullaballoo out here?"

"I've seen them!" Cosmo called out.

"Who have you seen?" the Electric Guardian called out.

"Spyro and Cynder are alive!"

Volteer's eyes widened. "Oh my goodness, I'll go wake the others!"

* * *

><p>Soon, Troy and Astral stood on the ramparts of the city as the stars in the sky began to fade. Troy was dressed in his armour and Astral wore her saddle. After a while, Cosmo arrived with Orion on his back.<p>

"The city's in an uproar!" Orion called out. "Volteer's informed everyone of Spyro and Cynder's return!"

"Then let's not disappoint them," Troy declared, climbing onto Astral's back. "Let's fly!"

With a nod, Astral took to the air and together the two Riders set off into the predawn light.

Eventually, they could see the Valley below them. "Okay, Cosmo," Troy called out. "Where is this cave you saw in the vision?"

Cosmo glanced around the valley and then he spotted an opening by the side of the cliff. "There!"

The two dragons dipped down and flew towards the cave, landing just outside the cave. Troy dismounted and stood by the entrance. "Spyro, Cynder, can you hear me?"

No reply came, so Troy turned to the others. "Okay, Astral, you and I are going in to look for them. Cosmo, Orion, you stay here and keep a look out."

"Here," Orion took out a torch from Cosmo's saddlebag and handed it to Troy. "You'll need this to light the way."

Troy held the torch out and Astral lit it with a Fire Breath. Then they stepped into the cave.

"I never noticed this cave the first time we were here," Astral recalled.

"It must have been formed when the world was restored," Troy guessed. "If Spyro and Cynder had been in the centre of the world, they might have been blasted up here by whatever fixed the world."

They walked down the cave for a few minutes then Troy came to a stop. "Look…"

Astral looked over Troy's shoulder and gasped. There, lying together on the ground, were the ones they'd been looking for; Spyro and Cynder! "Cosmo was right!"

Troy ran forward, placed the torch on the ground and knelt next to the smaller dragons. "Spyro, wake up!" he hissed, shaking them gently. "Cynder, can you hear me?"

For a while, there was no reaction… then at last, Cynder stirred and Spyro let out a groan. Slowly the two lifted their heads and opened their eyes.

"Where… are we?" Cynder groaned.

Spyro then looked round and saw the Rider. "Troy… is that you?"

Troy let out a laugh of relief. "It certainly is, buddy!'

"Spyro!" Astral ran forward and grabbed her little brother. "I thought I'd lost you forever!"

"It's good to see you too, Astral," Spyro replied.

Then the gold dragon turned to Cynder and hugged her too. "You did it! You both stopped Malefor and saved the world!"

"It was mostly Spyro who did it," Cynder said modestly.

"You both did it," Troy argued. "But it's best to share the credit."

Spyro then turned to look at Cynder. "By the way… I love you too."

Cynder gasped then threw her arms around Spyro's neck. "You heard me!"

"I've always known," Spyro replied.

Then they looked into each other's eyes, drew their heads closer and they kissed.

Troy and Astral stood and watched this happy moment then Troy spoke up. "I think we'd better head back to Warfang now. The others would be glad to see you."

"Right," Spyro agreed. "Let's get going."

"After you," Astral said.

With that, Spyro and Cynder set off down the tunnel while Troy and Astral followed behind. At last, they stepped out into the sunlight, feeling the warmth of the sun on their backs. Then they met up with Orion and Cosmo and they all set off for home…

* * *

><p>When Spyro, Cynder, Troy, Orion, Astral and Cosmo returned, there was a great celebration waiting for them. Dragons, humans, moles and cheetahs were all cheering as the little group landed.<p>

Sparx and Hunter were with the Guardians as they landed. Sparx and his parents rejoiced at seeing their 'son' back again and they thanked Cynder for staying with him all this time.

The Guardians held a memorial service to Ignitus and the others who had fallen during the three years of battling the Dark Armies. Afterwards, tryouts were held to fill the vacancy of the Fire Guardian and after several trials, the winner was announced: Blayze was elected the new Fire Guardian, making him the first dragon in history to have a Rider partner… until a few other guardians were chosen: Hydrus became the Water Guardian, Botanica the Plant Guardian, Cosmo the Psychic Guardian and Hurricos the Wind Guardian.

In the months that followed, Troy fell in love with Veronica, who had lost her boyfriend in the wars, and they were soon married. That same week, Cosmo declared his love for Astral and they became mates.

When the next Year of the Dragon came round, Astral and Cosmo added their egg to the hundreds that were laid. At the same time, Veronica gave birth to her first child, a baby girl whom Troy named Astrid in honour of his best friend. Sometime later, Astral's egg hatched into a young male Psychic dragon and to return the favour, she named her child Trojan.

As for Spyro and Cynder, they set off on a flight to explore the world and offer help to anyone who needed them. In their hearts, they knew their journey was over and they could only look to the future to see where it would take them…

* * *

><p>And on the White Isle, Ignitus and Trafalgar watched as the first pages of the new age formed on the new tome, showing pictures of Astral standing next to the Guardians, the young Trojan and Astrid together and Spyro and Cynder hovering in the sky forming a heart shape.<p>

"The new age will be one of peace," Ignitus recalled his words.

Trafalgar nodded as he looked at the picture of Troy and Veronica with their child. "May this peace last forever till the true end of days…"

* * *

><p><strong>And there we go! This trilogy has been a blast to write and I hope you've enjoyed it as I did.<strong>

**My thanks go to everyone who read my story, especially to D.J. Scales and Solaro the watcher. Thank you to the people who brought Spyro back from the dead and gave me these awesome games that allowed my imagination to run wild like this.**

**Thank you once again, and goodnight (or goodbye, depending on your time zone)**


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